During the 2024 CMA Awards, Peyton Manning took the stage alongside Luke Bryan and Lainey Wilson as host. With the hosting duties split among the three, they all seemed at ease when the cameras started rolling. Honoring some of the top names in country music, the hosts even had time for a joke or two. And ending the night without a single mishap, other than Jeff Bridges not knowing how to pronounce Morgan Wallen, Manning appeared to celebrate his time on the stage but giving a special performance.
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As the lights went out at the Bridgestone Arena and crews cleaned up, Manning found himself at the popular Nashville bar Losers. With his success in the NFL, Manning might not know a great deal about losing. Still, seeing a mic, the football star decided to step up and showcase his musical talents by covering David Allan Coe’s “You Never Even Called Me By My Name.” Thankfully, some at the bar decided to record the performance.
While not looking to win Entertainer of the Year, Manning appeared to simply enjoy the atmosphere of Nashville and its rich history in country music. Even the person who posted the video wrote, “Rocked It.”
Peyton Manning Walks Out With Morgan Wallen
Outside of helping host the 2024 CMA Awards, Manning also rubbed shoulders with Wallen when he walked out with the singer during his concert at the University of Tennessee Neyland Stadium. Discussing the moment, he said, “When my brother Eli did it in New York, he looked kinda stiff; when Tom Brady did it in Las Vegas with Mike Tyson, he had on a really tight shirt and when Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce did it in Kansas City, they looked cool and together — but I’m not as cool as them.”
Deciding to wear his old Tennessee uniform, Manning shared the full-circle moment of walking out of the same tunnel he did years ago. “Realizing I was walking out of the same tunnel I walked out of 30 years ago made me decide to go all in. I went as far as taping my ankles and though it fit me a little snugger than before, I had the helmet I wore when in my senior year of college pulled out from behind glass in a memorabilia room at the university.” He concluded, “It was an honor to be involved in a heck of a concert.”
(Photo via Tiktok and Theo Wargo/Getty Images)
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