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Tennessee Football: Gatorade #DearPeyton Ads Honoring Peyton Manning Feature Derek Jeter, Eli Manning, Tony Dungy, and More

By Caleb Calhoun

Oct 24, 2015; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Former Tennessee Volunteers and NFL quarterback Peyton Manning during pre game warmups before the start of the game against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 24, 2015; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Former Tennessee Volunteers and NFL quarterback Peyton Manning during pre game warmups before the start of the game against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports /
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Gatorade’s Dear Peyton ads honoring former Vol Peyton Manning include Derek Jeter, Eli and Archie, Tony Dungy, David Cutcliffe, Demaryius Thomas, and more.

Former Tennessee football quarterback Peyton Manning’s impact on professional sports as a whole and especially in the NFL has not gone unnoticed over the past few months. On Friday, Gatorade took the honoring to a whole new level.

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A star with the Vols, Indianapolis Colts, and Denver Broncos, Manning was also a star with companies who used him in commercials. And Gatorade recognized it.

In a Dear Peyton feature, Gatorade ran a YouTube video of all the letters Manning had written personal letters to people over the years, including former athletes, family members, teammates, parents, and students.

The recipients of the letters include:

"Tony DungyManning’s head coach when he played for the Indianapolis Colts from 2002 to 2008.Jon ScottManning’s friend, who is the current Colts VP of equipment operations.David CutcliffeCurrent Duke Blue Devils Head Coach who served as Manning’s offensive coordinator when he played for the Vols from 1994 to 1997.Pam FrenzelMother of Tyler Frenzel, who died of leukemia at age nine back in 2004. Tyler met Manning at Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital at St. Vincent in Indianapolis.Jeff SaturdayColts center and Manning teammate from 1999 to 2011.Eli ManningNew York Giants starting quarterback and Manning’s little brother.Demaryius ThomasBroncos wide receiver and Manning’s teammate from 2012 to 2015.Derek JeterFormer New York Yankees superstar shortstop and friend of Manning.Brandon StokleyFormer NFL wide receiver, Manning’s teammate with the Colts from 2003 to 2006 and with the Broncos in 2012.Archie ManningFormer quarterback of the Ole Miss Rebels and the New Orleans Saints; Manning’s father.Chris Mortensen ESPN NFL analyst.Brandon WashingtonFirst recipient of the PeyBack Foundation scholarship and currently a graduate student at the University of Indiana."

The company then posted a series of YouTube videos featuring those letter recipients talking about Manning. Here is each one of them.

-Chris Mortensen

-Pam Frenzel

-Coaches

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-Family

-Teammates

-Brandon Washington

It is safe to say that Manning is one of the greatest people as well as one of the greatest players to ever play the game of football or any sport for that matter.

I maintain that he is the greatest professional team sports athlete ever given the little help he had with the Colts for so many years and how he single-handedly carried them. These stories only add to what he meant to family, friends, fans, teammates, coaches, and even people in the ad industry.

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Here is the final video Gatorade posted, which is a Dear Peyton Mural.

We all miss you Sheriff.

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