NO. 1 UT PLAYER: THE GREATEST QB EVER March 5, 1997. Like thousands of other young Tennessee fans across East Tennessee that day, I was trapped at school. Like thousand of other young Tennessee fans, I had a Walkman radio with me. It was Decision Time for Peyton Manning. And smart money said he was headed to the NFL. After three years in college, he had already established himself as the best quarterback of his day, and millions of dollars awaited him as the projected No. 1 pick in the 1997 NFL Draft. As Manning took the podium in the media room inside Thompson Boling Arena, he began to talk about his experiences at the University of Tennessee. And then: I also want to have a great experience in the NFL. So there you go. Hes gone. Its been fun, but hes gone. Ive made up my mind; I dont expect to ever look back. Im gonna stay at the University of Tennessee. With those words, Peyton Manning endeared himself to an entire generation of Tennesseans. Oh, sure, Manning wouldve still been a Vols legend if he had taken the money and walked away after his junior season. Who couldve blamed him? But he didnt. And, for that, the fans loved him. At Thompson Boling Arena on the UT campus in Knoxville, the standing-room-only crowd erupted into wild cheering. At a small school in Scott County, I drew a stern look from the teacher as I jumped up in the middle of class, did a fist pump and hollered, Yes! At schools and businesses throughout East Tennessee, learning and production ceased as principals and supervisors took to P.A. systems to tell students and employees of Mannings decision. Peyton Manning never won a national championship, never won the Heisman Trophy (should have, but didnt), and didnt even beat Florida. But he did guide the Vols to their most successful era in more than a half-century, and arguably their most successful era ever. From 1995 to 1997, Mannings Tennessee team did not lose to an SEC team not named Florida. And the Vols only non-conference loss was a fluke upset by Memphis in 96. Along the way, Manning rewrote the Tennessee record book for quarterbacks. But thats not what endeared Manning to so many Tennesseans. Heath Shuler had rewritten the record book before Manning, and Andy Kelly had rewritten the record book before Shuler. Both of those quarterbacks guided the Tennessee team through successful eras. Kelly even won twice as many SEC championships as Manning. What endeared Manning to so many Tennesseans was his style and personality. From the moment he announced his decision to sign with Tennessee coming out of high school, Tennessee loved Peyton Manning. Not that Kelly and Shuler and all the quarterbacks who came before Manning were anything less than classy — in fact, they were two of the classiest quarterbacks in the game when they played — but Manning took it upon himself to take the extra step to represent his university with class and character. And perhaps what endeared Manning to fans was his work ethic. Manning was by far the best quarterback to ever play in Knoxville. The stats dont lie. But Manning wasnt the most talented quarterback to play in Knoxville. Not even close, in fact. Condredge Holloway, Tony Robinson, Heath Shuler . . . they were all more talented than Manning. Arguably, Kelly was too. But Mannings work ethic was well documented. No one studied more play diagrams, watched more film, or spent more time around the football facilities during down time than Manning did. With Manning around, non-mandatory workouts were nothing less than mandatory for receivers. Because Manning wouldnt tolerate anything less than the same dedication that he himself brought to the team. Mostly, though, what endeared Manning to fans was the fact that he stayed. He bucked a trend. When Heath Shuler had a chance to make millions, he took the money and ran. When Chuck Webb had a chance to make millions, he was going to take the money and run. And everyone wearing orange had convinced themselves that with millions on the line, Peyton Manning was going to take the money and run. There have been entire books written about Mannings time at Tennessee — Jimmy Hyams is the best — and attempting to effectively sum up what Manning did here and what he meant to the fans in a short post is an exercise in futility. Many Tennessee fans will argue that Manning is the best quarterback to ever play college football. I disagree. I think there were several college quarterbacks who were better than Manning — including the one who won the Heisman Trophy the year before Manning graduated: Floridas Danny Wuerffel. But with his work ethic and attitude, Manning was destined for greatness. And greatness is what he has accomplished in the NFL. At this point, as Manning enters the twilight of his playing career, its hard to argue that he isnt the best quarterback to ever play the game of football. He owns too many records. He may not catch Brett Favre in some categories, but his name is affixed to enough records to prove his worth statistically. And hes proven that there has perhaps never been a single player more valuable to his team than he was during his stint in Indianapolis. Without Manning, Indianapolis went from an annual Super Bowl contender to a 1-15 team. Of course there are those who will argue that Manning isnt the best. Theyll talk about guys named Montana and Favre and Brady and Marino. Theyll talk about Super Bowl rings and crucial playoff losses. But you wont find many people in East Tennessee who will make that argument. Because, in our minds, it was settled back in March 1997. With 20 words, Peyton Manning became a legend: Ive made up my mind; I dont expect to ever look back: Im gonna stay at the University of Tennessee ITS FOOTBALL TIME IN TENNESSEE!
Posted on: Sun, 31 Aug 2014 01:40:02 +0000