Best Tennessee football players: Modern-era Mount Rushmore: From Peyton Manning to Eric Berry
Scouting Report. 1994-1997. Peyton Manning. Quarterback. 1. player. 839. Pick Analysis
Beyond his Hall of Fame NFL career in which he held every passing record at one point, which part of Manning’s legacy with Tennessee football is the greatest? There are obviously his accomplishments on the field, including holding every single school passing record, winning an SEC Championship and earning the Maxwell Award and All-American recognition.
However, Manning also represents a lot more. He chose the Vols over the Ole Miss Rebels, where his father and younger brother are legends and his family is royalty. The two schools were yearly rivals just three years before he committed there as well. Then Manning decided to stay for his senior season in 1997 despite the fact he would have been the No. 1 NFL Draft pick in 1996.
Manning went 3-1 in bowls. He ended the Vols’ nine-year winless streak against Alabama in 1995 while starting the longest winning streak any program has had over the Crimson Tide, seven. Meanwhile, he secured three top 10 finishes went 39-6. Simply put, there’s a reason a street and locker room are named after him in Knoxville while his jersey number is retired. He’s a legend.
Critics will point to his failure to beat the Florida Gators and win a national title, which some say cost him the Heisman. However, he had over 300 yards and three touchdowns in that 1995 win at Alabama. He set a then-bowl game record with 408 passing yards in the 1997 Citrus Bowl, a dominant win over the Northwestern Wildcats.
Finally, Manning had arguably the greatest SEC Championship game performance in history in 1997 against the Auburn Tigers. Despite his team committing six turnovers and falling behind 20-10 and 27-17 in the second half, Manning threw for 373 yards and four touchdowns en route to a 30-29 win. Those moments are legendary and why he tops this list.
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