Peyton Manning Returns To Tennessee As A Professor

Peyton Manning's time at the University of Tennessee isn't done just yet.

Manning graduated from UT back in 1997 before he had one of the most-decorated NFL careers in the history of the league.

The man is the most famous athlete associated with the Volunteers, and there's likely not a close second. When you think UT football, you think Peyton Manning.

Well, he'll be doing his best Indiana Jones impression during the upcoming school year because he's been hired as a professor at College of Communication and Information.

The school announced the following Monday morning:


Manning is a nationally recognized media personality, entrepreneur, sports commentator, and former professional athlete. As part of his appointment, Manning will join select classes during the academic year as a featured expert, bringing significant industry experience to the classroom and working alongside the college’s nationally recognized faculty to provide transformative learning experiences for CCI students. 
...
Manning will partner with CCI faculty and teach a variety of topics that align with the college’s curriculum including sports reporting, video production and performance, leadership and communication, and public speaking.  

Peyton Manning is a professor at Tennessee.

Professor Manning. I had to admit that it actually does have a pretty smooth ring to it. Rolls right off the tongue.

Very natural. It feels like a good fit. Now, will he be a good fit in the classroom? Let's be real, folks. Tennessee didn't hire him to teach nuclear physics.

Peyton Manning is returning to Knoxville because he's the most famous man associated with the school and is great on TV.

The Manningcast is one of the very few smart things ESPN has done over the past several years. It kills it with his brother Eli every single time they do it.

Now, imagine you're 21 years old in your senior year at UT and Peyton Manning walks in to teach you about becoming a man and life.

I never once had the urge to drink with a single professor of mine at Wisconsin other than one, but we'll get into that some other time. I'd get hammered with Peyton Manning any day of the week.

The former Colts and Broncos QB loves beer, partying and just being a dude. What more could you ever want?

This is a genius decision from all parties involved. Get after it, Peyton. Leave it all in the classroom.

Written by
David Hookstead is a reporter for OutKick covering a variety of topics with a focus on football and culture. He also hosts of the podcast American Joyride that is accessible on Outkick where he interviews American heroes and outlines their unique stories. Before joining OutKick, Hookstead worked for the Daily Caller for seven years covering similar topics. Hookstead is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin.