Mike Castiglione
Peyton Manning has built a reputation as not only a Hall of Fame-bound NFL quarterback, but also as an uber-successful pitchman for several multi-billion dollar corporations thanks, largely, to his squeaky clean persona.
Well, that is no more. Not after Saturday’s explosive column in the New York Daily News by Shaun King, which uncovers disturbing details from a 13-year old coverup of a sexual assault incident involving Manning and Dr. Jamie Naughright, the trainer at the University of Tennessee during the course of the events.
These allegations about Manning have been public knowledge, but the 74-page document King includes in his article hasn’t been as readily available as it now is. It seems like Manning’s reputation could take a big hit now that his career is likely over. And luckily for him, it probably couldn’t come at a better time. But for us? It’ll just leave a bad taste in our mouths forever.
King’s piece begins:
Thirteen years ago, USA Today obtained 74 pages of explosive court documents on Peyton Manning, Archie Manning, the University of Tennessee, and Florida Southern College that revealed allegations of a sexual-assault scandal, cover up, and smear campaign of the victim that was so deep, so widespread and so ugly that it would’ve rocked the American sports world to its core. Yet USA Today never released those documents for reasons I can’t explain.
Social media wasn’t around then, or you can bet such a story would’ve went viral. Here’s the money part:
On Feb. 29 of that year, Naughright, at that point the university’s director of health and wellness, was in a training room, examining what she thought might be a possible stress fracture in Manning’s foot. At 6 feet, 5 inches, his feet dangled off the edge of the table. Manning allegedly then proceeded to scoot down the training table while Naughright examined his foot. At that point, she said, he forcefully maneuvered his naked testicles and rectum directly on her face with his penis on top of her head. Shocked, disgusted, and offended, Naughright pushed Manning away, removing her head out from under him (see pages 14-15). Within hours, she reported the incident to the Sexual Assault Crisis Center in Knoxville (see page 18).
As the story goes on, what is particularly notable are the lengths to which Manning, and his father, Archie, went to keep the incident under wraps, telling lie after lie. They ultimately tore down the career of Naughright, a respected and accomplished physician, even alleging she was sleeping around with black athletes. She was fired from Tennessee and later another university, both times for no apparent reason. According to the documents, two staff members at Tennessee went so far as to approach Naughright and asked her if she would consider blaming the entire incident on a specific black athlete instead of Manning, which she refused. [Editor’s note: This paints the Mannings as racists, which will get a lot of play, as it should.]
It seems Archie and Peyton got ahead of all this by releasing Peyton’s version of the events in his book, “The Mannings,” while Naughright has kept quiet all these years following a 2003 settlement of a defamation suit.
Obviously, it is quiet no more, and both Mannings, and the University of Tennessee, will have some explaining to do. There are lots more details in King’s piece, which you should read. I, for one, will never be able to look at Manning the same way again.
Fresh off a Super Bowl victory, could this be the straw that pushes Manning off into the sunset of retirement? Maybe that was his plan all along.
Peyton Manning and his daddy sound a little racist here
Seriously? A well known, 20 year old story of a college locker room tea bagging incident is bringing out fake outrage again? Shaun King tries really hard to find racism in everything. (Must be a Sean/Shaun thing). Manning wrote about this incident in his book and it was a story when it happened. Shaun King and his racism agenda rehashed an old story because he was upset that Newton acted like a punk after the SB and the media called him out. A college kid played a stupid prank 20 years ago and paid a higher price than any other kid would have. The trainer had the sme thing happen to her several times, but used Manning and his dad’s money for some cash. BUT – if there is a chance to label someone a racist, “some” people will always jump on board. Get your facts straight and come back and see me.
Yes the tea bagging incident was known, from Peyton’s side. What was not known were the lengths Archie and Peyton went through, even years later, to stir up lies and sabotage this woman’s career, not to mention the university’s willingness to pin blame on a random black student athlete. We’ll never even know the nature of the actions that one side made sure were redacted from sealed records. That kind of collaboration rings systematic. If these elements were common knowledge before this story, by all means please point me to the sources and I’ll run it.
I knew about it years ago. I know the woman claimed they tried to convince her to blame a black guy. I also know sensationalism. She did it for money and got paid. She had the same thing happen to her several times but only complained when Peyron did it. To label the guy a racist is predictable these days. Seems to me that 30 plus combines years in the NFL for Peyron and Archie would have proven racism – not some prank from 20 years ago. They must have us all fooled and they are really secret racists. Maybe we should put him on the sexual predator list too.
Sad that people can try to ruin reputations because it’s convenient for a whiny agenda. Maybe the same will happen to you some day.
It sounds like Yo’s on point about this one.
good for Peyton
Cool story-
I remember running into Peyton at the OD in sea isle in the early 2000’s cutting a rug on the dance floor with a couple whores. Told me he was there visiting his buddy Brad Scololi
You claiming now what you knew then isn’t the same as providing source material… Again there is no agenda or labeling here, there was a report in the New York Daily News and that, and the documents within, are the source of everything in this post. Apparently there was enough smoke for Peyton to now be included in the Title IX case against Tennessee.