Ty Simpson shares story from childhood about meeting Peyton Manning at Tennessee game
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
Alabama looks to stretch its winning streak to six games as it hosts Tennessee at Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday.
Volunteers football brings back childhood memories for Crimson Tide quarterback Ty Simpson, whose father, Jason, has been the head coach at FCS program UT Martin since 2006. In 2010, he had a chance to travel to Neyland Stadium as the Skyhawks opened the season against the Vols in Derek Dooley’s first game on the Tennessee sideline.
As you might expect, it was all Vols.
“They whooped my dad’s tail, like, 50-0,” Simpson recalled.
Simpson remembered crying after the game, which he chalked up to not knowing the difference between FBS and FCS football as a child.
There was another memory from that afternoon: meeting Peyton Manning, his “favorite” player growing up.
“Pregame, I walked over (to the other sideline), and I asked him, ‘How does it feel to play against your brother in the NFL?” Simpson said. “I remember it like it was yesterday. He was like, ‘Man, it’s really hard, but it’s fun.'”
Now, as Alabama‘s quarterback, Simpson may have a little bit of a chip on his shoulder when he leads the Tide against the Vols in Tuscaloosa on Saturday afternoon.
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
