University of Tennessee Admits 19 Freshmen with Peyton Manning Namesakes

Peyton Manning is old.

Sure, he’s not Methuselah-brewing-bathtub-gin old, but the fact that 19 freshmen named in his honor just began taking classes this fall at the University of Tennessee should put his career longevity in perspective for you. 

Indeed, Torchbearer ­(h/t NFL.com’s Bryan Fischer)—Tennessee’s alumni magazine—reports that a wave of students bearing the name “Peyton” or “Payton” have matriculated into the school’s freshman class. Many were named after Manning, who came into his own and began laying waste to college football defenses for the Volunteers 18 years ago. 

Peyton Lara is one such freshman, and says he attended high school with three other Peytons. Three. Multiple other Peytons. 

Lara told Torchbearer he met Manning at a Volunteers football practice as a youngster. 

“I met Peyton Manning after one of the UT football practices when I was about a year old,” Lara said, adding that his family keeps a picture of the moment. I highly suggest you go to the Torchbearer’s website and look at it. Young Lara is bawling his eyes out in the arms of a very sweaty Manning. 

Another UT freshman with a Manning namesake is Lindsey Peyton Lauricella, who says she was named in part for Manning and that her grandparents know the quarterback’s parents.

“Part of my name does honor Peyton Manning,” Lauricella said. “But I wasn’t especially named after him…Peyton is a huge family name for us…and my grandparents are very good friends with Archie and Olivia Manning.”

To reiterate—because it can’t be said enough—children named after Peyton Manning are beginning to take college classes. They are adults—or near enough that it makes no matter. Spooky.

So strap in for next season, when teens named after Tom Brady will begin applying to Michigan. Just kidding. That will be like…oh…maybe five or six years from now.

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