SEC Football: The best quarterback in each program’s history
Pick Analysis. Peyton Manning. player. 839. Scouting Report. 1994-97. 18. QB
The second Manning brother to make the list of SEC football passers
Peyton Manning is not only the best quarterback in Tennessee‘s program history, but he’s probably the best player ever to suit up on Rocky Top.
Manning is Tennessee’s all-time leader in passing yards (11,201) ad touchdown passes (89). He led Tennessee to four bowl games, including victories in the 1994 Gator Bowl and 1995 and 1996 Citrus Bowls. In 1997 Manning led the Vols to an SEC title after defeating Auburn in the conference championship game but fell to Nebraska in the Orange Bowl.
He set both the program’s single-season passing yards record (3,819) and touchdown pass record (32) during the Vols’ 1997 SEC title run.
The awards Manning racked in as a Vol include: Campbell Trophy (1997), the Maxwell Award (1997) and consensus All-American honors (1997). His number No. 16 was later retired by Tennessee.
He was drafted with the first overall pick in the 1998 NFL Draft by the Colts. He went on to win five MVP Awards, earned 14 trips to the Pro Bowl and won two super bowls with one coming as a Colt and the other with the Denver Broncos.