Unless you’ve been underneath some sort of rock the past couple of days, you’ve no doubt heard that Peyton Manning has retired after an illustrious 18-year NFL career that, in a few years, will have “Pro Football Hall of Famer” attached to it.
Prior to the multi-MVP, multi-Super Bowl winning career, of course, Manning rose to national stardom as a record-setting quarterback at the University of Tennessee. Manning, still beloved by Vols Nation despite two-decade-old allegations resurfacing recently, maintains legendary status around Knoxville in general and Neyland Stadium specifically.
Manning’s offensive coordinator and position coach during his time with the Volunteers was David Cutcliffe, who parlayed his success with Manning into head-coaching gigs at Ole Miss, where he coached Manning’s brother Eli, and his current job at Duke. Manning and Cutcliffe have remained close over the years, with his former player showing up every year in the offseason to work out with the head coach’s Blue Devils players.
Suffice to say, Cutcliffe has a very high opinion of Manning. Extremely high, in fact, as, in the wake off Manning’s retirement, he called his former pupil “the greatest quarterback to ever play the game.”
“I’m not a little biased, I’m a lot biased…. In my opinion, there’s no question, he’s the greatest quarterback to ever play the game,” Cutcliffe said according to the student newspaper, The Chronicle. “I just think he’s the most impactful player who’s ever played the game at that position, and maybe period. Everyone will always have fun arguing that, but I’d stay up probably half the night arguing with them, if they wanted to.”
Obviously, the time Cutcliffe and Manning spent with the Vols was special to the former. Not surprisingly, his time on the campus still means a lot to the latter as well.
“I’m retiring today as a University of Tennessee graduate who played for the Colts and the Broncos,” Manning said during his retirement press conference. “Almost 19 years ago to the day, I announced my decision to forego the draft and stay at the University of Tennessee for my senior year. It was one of the smartest decisions I’ve ever made.
“I cherished my time in Knoxville, especially my senior year, and I want Vol fans everywhere to know the unique role that you’ve played in my life.”