Peyton was driving them down the field, and I was tired. That's why I was able to kick it into anther gear.
As soon as I cut back and could see the goal line, I was thinking, "There's no way anybody is going to catch me." I can still hear the roar of that crowd. I've been back for games and haven't heard it close to that loud. Tony George: It's the loudest I ever heard the Swamp.
He was 0-3 against Florida as a starter, and even though he was 6-1 against Tennessee's other two big rivals (Alabama and Georgia), a 33-20 loss to the Gators - highlighted by a Manning interception returned 89 yards for a TD by Tony George - in September 1997 was something many of the Heisman voters held against him and opened the door for somebody else to win it. But for everything Manning accomplished at Tennessee, it's who he didn't beat, fair or not, that hounded him for much of his college career. So as we celebrate the 20th anniversary of one of the most captivating Heisman Trophy races ever, let's revisit that season through the eyes of players - including all four finalists themselves - coaches and media members who were there.Īfter turning down millions of dollars to return to school for his senior season, Manning endeared himself forever to Tennessee fans and entered the 1997 season as the prohibitive Heisman favorite.
The 1997 Heisman class featured four NFL first-round draft picks and three surefire NFL Hall of Famers. To this day, fans on all sides fiercely debate if the voters got it right. When Woodson edged Manning to become the first primarily defensive player to win the coveted award, it set off howls of protests in Knoxville, Tennessee. And there was big-armed Washington State QB Ryan Leaf, leading the Cougars to the Rose Bowl. There was the relatively unknown wide receiver at Marshall making defenses look silly in Randy Moss. There was Michigan's do-everything playmaker Charles Woodson, who dominated at cornerback but also excelled on special teams and offense for the unbeaten and top-ranked Wolverines. They won their second consecutive SEC title game, and Young established himself as the front-runner for the Heisman.There was Tennessee QB Peyton Manning, who spurned NFL riches the year before to return to school to win an SEC title and throw for 3,819 yards and 36 touchdowns. 1 in the final College Football Playoff rankings. The victory moved the Crimson Tide up to No.
The Bulldogs were the top-ranked team in the nation and hadn't allowed more than 17 points in any of their first 12 games before losing to Alabama. In his final audition for the Heisman voters, he turned in arguably his best performance of the season when he threw for 421 yards and accounted for four touchdowns in a 41-24 win over Georgia to win the SEC title. Young then threw the game-winning two-point conversion to John Metchie III in the fourth overtime to secure Alabama's 24-22 victory over the Tigers. He completed fewer than 50 percent of his attempts (25-of-51) for 317 yards, but his 28-yard touchdown pass to Ja'Corey Brooks with 24 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter tied the score at 10 and forced overtime. In the regular-season finale, and with a spot in the SEC Championship Game on the line, he had his worst performance of the year against Auburn. Young threw for 369 yards with three touchdowns and one interception, but he only completed 28 of his 48 attempts in a 41-38 defeat.
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