The Knoxville Zoo named a baby giraffe after him.
An obstetrician told him dozens of parents in Knoxville are naming their children after him.The Tennessee athletic department created a community service coordinator position to help handle the hundreds of autograph and appearance requests that pour into the football office for him every day.
Tennessee quarterback Peyton Manning is already a genuine celebrity and probably the most popular figure in this state, but he's on the verge of nothing short of sainthood here if he can fill the biggest void in his football career Saturday. If Manning can finally beat those Florida Gators, they just might erect a monument to him here. That's how big a game it is around these parts.
"It's just amazing how many fans Peyton has," Tennessee guard Spencer Riley said. "You walk into a place with him, and it's terrible."
Riley took Manning to his hometown last year to watch a Jefferson County High football game, and Riley nearly had to apologize to his old team. Fans filed out of the stands, almost oblivious to the game. They wanted Manning's autograph. Men, women and children pressed in on him for a signature. It's like that most places Manning goes. Even church. He once had a little boy nudge him while he was in the middle of prayer wanting a signature.
When Manning announced last spring that he was passing on the NFL draft and returning for his senior season, three television stations in the state carried the news conference live.
It was big news, and many speculated the sole reason he returned was for this weekend's game. He desperately wants to beat the Gators. The Heisman Trophy? It wouldn't be as big as beating those Gators.
"It's not just another game," Manning said this week. "There are so many things that went into my decision to return. This game is a big part of my senior year, which is what I came back for, but this game isn't the sole reason I came back . . . ."
Manning understands all too well that his career will in part be defined by this game. He has never won a national title, or even an SEC title or divisional title. That's because the Volunteers haven't beaten the Gators during Manning's career.