Peyton Manning and Charles Woodson: Tied Together Forever

From their bitter Heisman race in 1997 through their 18-year NFL careers, Peyton Manning and Charles Woodson will be linked together forever.

For the past 18-plus years now, the name Charles Woodson has lived in infamy throughout the Tennessee area and really across the South.

The controversy surrounding the 1997 Heisman Trophy vote, costing the Vols the best chance to bring home their first Heisman in a year in which the media completely rewrote the criteria for what a Heisman winner should be, left a sour taste in everybody’s mouth.

It fueled the fire that the ESPN media hates the SEC, a narrative that carried on until 2008, when a contract between the conference and the network began to create the reverse narrative.

But on that fateful day in December of 1997, nobody could have predicted what would follow in the future. And 18 years later, it is time for everybody in Knoxville to make peace with the vote from then. Let’s instead look at the greatness they accomplished.

Manning and Woodson both came out the following spring into the NFL Draft. Both were first-round draft picks. And both retired after this season.

Whether or not there is a friendship, a healthy rivalry, or bitterness between the two, I can’t say. Manning certainly threw shade last year when he joked about Woodson needing 18 years to finally get a pick off of him.

But as two Hall-of-Famers at their positions who came out the same year and retired the same year while being a part of the same Heisman Trophy class, we have to acknowledge how special it has been to watch both players’ careers.

The exceptional talent of that Heisman class cannot be overstated. It was a year of greatest. In addition to Manning and Woodson, you had Randy Moss, Ricky Williams, and Ryan Leaf rounding out the top five. That meant one of the greatest cornerbacks, wide receivers, and quarterbacks in NFL history were all in this class along with a guy who could have been the greatest running back ever if he had the heart.

And with Leaf, you also had one of the greatest busts ever.

That Manning and Woodson were at the top of such an elite Heisman class before they both launched Hall of Fame NFL careers speaks volumes, and they are both to be respected.

The two were instrumental in Super Bowls for teams they led, and they also have a connection to a rivalry with Tom Brady: Manning’s rivalry speaking for itself and Woodson’s due to him being a huge part of the infamous Tuck Rule call in 2001.

But regardless of who we may think should have won the Heisman that infamous year, it is safe to say that as both players now retire, they can be at peace with what they accomplished and should simply be honored to be part of an elite class.

And with one more Super Bowl ring and five more MVPs, we can say Peyton did better with the NFL awards.