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Peyton Manning among 25 Hall of Fame semifinalists for 2021

By Caleb Calhoun

OAKLAND, CA - DECEMBER 29: Peyton Manning #18 of the Denver Broncos throws his fourth touchdown pass of the game during the second quarter of their game against the Oakland Raiders at O.co Coliseum on December 29, 2013 in Oakland, California. This five-yard pass was his second touchdown pass to Demaryius Thomas #88 and it also gave Manning the single season passing yard record. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CA - DECEMBER 29: Peyton Manning #18 of the Denver Broncos throws his fourth touchdown pass of the game during the second quarter of their game against the Oakland Raiders at O.co Coliseum on December 29, 2013 in Oakland, California. This five-yard pass was his second touchdown pass to Demaryius Thomas #88 and it also gave Manning the single season passing yard record. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /
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Former Tennessee Vols quarterback Peyton Manning is closer to a prestigious NFL honor.

On Tuesday, Tennessee football legend Peyton Manning became a semifinalist for a legendary recognition. The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced him as one of 25 semifinalists among players from the modern era for the 2021 class.

Joining the greatest quarterback in UT history on the list were names like Reggie Wayne, a longtime teammate of Manning’s, and Charles Woodson, who beat Manning out for the Heisman Trophy in 1997. Woodson, Manning and Calvin Johnson were the players in their first year of eligibility to make the list.

The next cut will be at some point in January, and it will trim the number of players down to 15 from the modern era. Between four and eight people can be be selected for the Hall of Fame, and those players will be announced on Feb. 6, the day before the Super Bowl.

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If he receives the honor, Peyton Manning would be the third former Vol to be enshrined in the Hall of Fame, joining Reggie White and Doug Atkins. The enshrinement is set to take place on Sunday, Aug. 8, 2021 in Canton, Ohio.

A two-time Super Bowl champion, Manning has a Super Bowl MVP and is the only player to win a Super Bowl with two different teams, the Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos. He also has five regular season MVPs, the most in NFL history. Nobody else has more than three.

Other accomplishments include the most passing touchdowns and yards in a season with 55 and 5,477 respectively in 2013, the second most career wins (including playoffs) with 200 all time, and the third most career passing touchdowns and yards with 539 and 71,940. At one point, he had the record for both of those.

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While in college, Peyton Manning went 39-6 as a quarterback, setting what was at the time an NCAA record for career wins. He led the Vols to three straight top 10 finishes, three straight bowl wins, three straight wins over the Alabama Crimson Tide and an SEC Championship in 1997 while throwing for 89 touchdowns and 11,201 yards, the latter of which was then a conference record.

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