Hall of Fame inductee Peyton Manning has added a college professor to his list of post-NFL jobs after the University of Tennessee, his alma mater, named him a professor of practice for the fall 2023 semester.
Manning, who played for the Volunteers from 1994-1997, will join the ranks of the school’s College of Communications and Information as a “distinguished expert” along with the faculty. He graduated in 1997 with a BA in Speech after winning an SEC game. Months later, the Indianapolis Colts drafted him No. 1 overall.
“My time as a student at the College of Communications and Information was a seminal experience during which I learned key skills and messaging techniques that I still use almost daily,” Manning He said in a statement issued by the university. “I look forward to working with the college’s talented faculty and directly with students in an effort to ensure they are well prepared for their future careers.”
He retired from the NFL in 2015 after an impressive 18-year career that included five MVP awards, two Super Bowl rings, 14 Pro Bowl appearances and seven first-team All-Pro nods. Manning’s career of 71,940 passing yards and 539 passing touchdowns ranks third all-time in NFL history.
Now, Manning will go back to the school where his football and media journey began.
While he enjoyed a successful college career at Tennessee, not everything was positive. Manning was Accused of sexual assault by a former gym trainer in 1996 After she alleged that he took off his pants and placed his bare buttocks and genitals over her face while examining his feet. Manning claimed he was pulling a prank on another teammate. He never faced criminal charges and the coach later settled with the university after suing the school.
Manning’s work on screen
Manning’s media personality presence has been around throughout his playing career but expanded rapidly once he left the NFL. He has hosted NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” several times and has also appeared in several commercials. Manning also guest-voiced himself in an episode of “The Simpsons” and as one of the main characters in the 2017 animated film, “Ferdinand”.
He founded his own media company, Omaha Productions, in 2020 which has produced programs such as “Peyton’s Places” (as well as other shows of the same title that featured other athletes) on ESPN+. Manning also produced the alternate broadcast for ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” that featured his brother Eli aka “Manningcast,” who won a 2022 Emmy Award for Outstanding Live Series.
