How to Watch Eli Manning's Secret Penn State Football Tryout

Sporting a homeschooled arm and wicked "flow," Manning takes a run at the Lions' roster for his ESPN+ show Eli's Places.

Chad Powers, a homeschooled substitute teacher and part-time carpenter, might have become a household name had he made Penn State's roster at walk-on tryouts.

Turns out, though, that Powers was ineligible to play college football. Turns out further that he was really Eli Manning.

Manning, the two-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback and new-media star, tried out incognito for the Penn State football team in August as part of his ESPN+ show Eli's Places. Produced by brother Peyton's Omaha Productions company, Eli's Places tells the stories of college football through visits to campuses nationwide.

In the latest episode, set to hit ESPN+ on Wednesday, Eli Manning visits Penn State, where he dons a wig, makeup and the alter ego of Chad Powers to play quarterback for the Nittany Lions.

"Never played ball," Manning/Powers tells Penn State offensive analyst Danny O'Brien while showing off a still-impressive arm. "Watched a lot of film, though."

We thought Chad Powers looked familiar...@EliManning went undercover as a @PennStateFball walk-on and it is everything. pic.twitter.com/5i5eD22lO7

— Omaha Productions (@OmahaProd) September 19, 2022

The episode tells the larger story of walk-ons (or run-ons, as Penn State calls them) in college football, beginning with Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett and ending with Penn State punter Barney Amor.

During his visit to Penn State, Manning announced to the team that Amor, who walked on from Cornell, had earned a scholarship. That decision has paid dividends for Penn State, as Amor ranks second in the Big Ten in punting average.

It's an entertaining piece, full of Manning brothers humor ("Chad likes to throw it deep," Eli tells his brother in a video chat) and affection for walk-ons.

Penn State coach James Franklin flexes his acting muscles as well.

Worth a watch, especially for Penn State fans fizzing at the team's 3-0 start and big win at Auburn. Catch the new episode of Eli's Places here.

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AllPennState is the place for Penn State news, opinion and perspective on the SI.com network. Publisher Mark Wogenrich has covered Penn State for more than 20 years, tracking three coaching staffs, three Big Ten titles and a catalog of great stories. Follow him on Twitter @MarkWogenrich. And consider subscribing (button's on the home page) for more great content across the SI.com network.