Tennessee football legend Peyton Manning will be honored during halftime of the Volunteers home game against Georgia.
The ceremony will serve as the National Football Foundation's official "On-Campus Salute" of Manning's selection to the College Football Hall of Fame. The game will be on Sept. 30 at Neyland Stadium.
The kickoff time and TV network designation for the Georgia game will be announced later this fall.
NFF President & CEO Steven J. Hatchell, NFF Chairman Archie Manning and Fidelity Investments® President Kathy Murphy will join Peyton at midfield for the halftime recognition.
Peyton has requested that each of UT’s living College Hall of Fame inductees also join him on Shields-Watkins Field during the recognition. Those individuals are Dickey, Emanuel, Fulmer, Johnson, Kell, Kiner, Majors and Michels.
“Peyton is one of this university and athletic program’s finest ambassadors,” Tennessee Vice Chancellor/Director of Athletics John Currie said. “Honoring him at our Georgia game this fall provides our fans with a wonderful opportunity to celebrate not only his induction into the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame, but also the incredible impact he continues to make across Big Orange Nation."
The National Football League announced Manning as part of its star-studded 2017 College Hall of Fame induction class on Jan. 9.
His induction is set for Dec. 5 during the 60th NFF Annual Awards Dinner at the New York Hilton Midtown.
Manning will be Tennessee’s 23rd inductee into the College Football Hall of Fame.
According to UT, the Volunteers have more inductees than any other Southeastern Conference institution and rank among the top 10 nationally in total inductees.
Manning joins the following:
- Gene McEver (inducted 1954)
- Beattie Feathers (1955)
- Robert R. Neyland (1956)
- Herman Hickman (1959)
- Bobby Dodd (1959 as a player, 1993 as coach)
- Bob Suffridge (1961)
- Nathan Dougherty (1967)
- George Cafego (1969)
- Bowden Wyatt (1972 as a player, 1997 as a coach)
- Hank Lauricella (1981)
- Doug Atkins (1985)
- Johnny Majors (1987
- Bob Johnson (1989)
- Ed Molinski (1990)
- Steve DeLong (1993)
- John Michels (1996)
- Steve Kiner (1999)
- Reggie White (2002)
- Doug Dickey (2003)
- Frank Emanuel (2004)
- Chip Kell (2006)
- Phillip Fulmer (2012 as a coach)
Joe Steffy, who lettered at UT as a freshman in 1944, was inducted in 1987 for his accomplishments during his career with Army from 1945-47.