Hall of Fame QB Peyton Manning returns to Tennessee as a college professor

Former Tennessee quarterback Peyton Manning is joining his alma mater’s journalism school as a practice professor this fall.

Manning will join faculty in select classes and partner to teach some curriculum “including sports reporting, video production, performance, leadership, communication, and public speaking,” according to a release.

Manning, 47, retired in 2016 after 18 seasons in the NFL that included five MVPs and two Super Bowls with the Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos.

“My time as a student at the College of Communications and Information was a foundational experience during which I learned key skills and messaging techniques that I still use almost daily,” Manning said in a statement. “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.”

Manning graduated from Tennessee in 1998 with a degree in Speech Communication and in 2020 founded Omaha Productions, a company that has produced a wide variety of content. ManningCast’s alternative broadcasts include “Monday Night Football” and “Peyton’s Places” on ESPN+ and most recently, it partnered with NFL Films and Netflix to produce “Quarterback,” a reality show that chronicled a season in the lives of Patrick Mahomes, Kirk Cousins ​​and Marcus Mariota. Omaha Productions also provides internships for Tennessee students.

“There is no other ambassador for our college and university like Peyton Manning, and we are proud to welcome him to the college faculty,” Joseph Mazer, dean of the Tennessee College of Communication and Information, said in a statement. “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 communications and information leaders.”

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(Photo: Megan Briggs/Getty Images)