Peyton Manning Recalls When Brother Impersonated Him, Trashed SEC Rival

The two-time Super Bowl champion revisited a hilarious incident when older brother Cooper spoofed Tennessee fans.

The Mannings are arguably the most famous family in football, and the name carries a certain level of prestige around the sports world. But in the end, they’re just a regular family who will do their best to get a laugh or two at each other’s expense. 

During a Wednesday appearance at a fundraiser ahead of the Dana LPGA Open in Toledo, Peyton Manning told a hilarious story about when his older and strikingly similar-looking brother, Cooper, visited him while he was at college playing for Tennessee. The night before a game against Kentucky, while Peyton was asleep in his hotel, Cooper decided to go out to the Knoxville bars where some Volunteers fans mistook him for his younger brother. 

“[A fan] comes up to him and says, ‘Peyton, what in the world are you doing out? It’s midnight, and we’ve got a game tomorrow!’” Peyton recalled Wednesday, per The Toledo Blade. “Cooper took a little swig, puffed on the cigar, and said, ‘Relax, we’re just playing Kentucky.’

“Thanks a lot, bro.”

Peyton was a good sport about it all these years later, and he probably came to the conclusion that he couldn’t blame Cooper. After all, it’s fair to say anyone wouldn’t mind being Peyton just for one night.

It’s unclear exactly which game Peyton would’ve been referring to, as he played against the Wildcats twice in Knoxville. Tennessee beat Kentucky 52-0 in 1994, when Manning was a freshman, and 56-10 in 1996, when he was a junior.