Ah yes, back to school season- that wonderful time of the year when late summer starts to prelude into the beginning of autumn. Peyton Manning is like many of us during this special time on the calendar, about to embark on new beginnings.
For a lot of us, this is the true new year, not on January 1. For Manning, he’s going back to his alma mater, the University of Tennessee, but not in a capacity that you might think.
Yes, the Indianapolis Colts G.O.A.T., five time NFL MVP and two time Super Bowl champion is returning to Rocky Top as a Professor! And we’re not talking about on Zoom or some other e-learning initiative.
He’ll be teaching on site, and in person.
Here is an excerpt from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville release:
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.
“There is no other ambassador for our college and university like Peyton Manning, and we are proud to welcome him to the college’s faculty,” said Joseph Mazer, dean of the College of Communication and Information.
“Peyton is a true Volunteer, and I look forward to our students gaining invaluable knowledge from him as we continue to prepare the next generation of communication and information leaders.”
How cool is that? Imagine being a freshman at UT, and in one of your first ever college courses, Peyton Manning, one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time is speaking!
Manning, 47, has kept himself busy lately as a content producer and host, having started his own studio, Omaha Productions, in 2020.
Obviously, he has all the money, fame and accomplishment that he’ll ever need or hope for in this life, so it’s great to see him doing something like this.
Love to see the altruism for the institution where he first made his name.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He’s written for numerous publications, including the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. He regularly appears on NTD News and WGN News Now. Follow the website on Twitter and Instagram.