Desmond Howard reveals he and Peyton Manning shared a cigar after Tennessee’s win over Alabama
We know.
Another cigar celebration.
This time, it is NFL great and former Tennessee quarterback Peyton Manning sharing a cigar with former Michigan star and current ESPN “College GameDay” analyst Desmond Howard.
It should be noted that the “College GameDay” – along with Manning as the celebrity picker – predicted Tennessee to beat Alabama, with the exception of Kirk Herbstreit. However, Howard’s pick wasn’t exactly definitive.
“If Bryce Young is a 100 percent, I’m going Alabama easy,” Desmond Howard said Saturday morning. “He’s going to play, but we don’t know how effective he’s going to be. What’s going to affect him is throwing the long ball and outside the numbers. For the reason alone, I’m going with Tennessee.”
Manning, who was spotted in the locker room celebrating the win with receiver Jalin Hyatt, led the Tennessee band in a rendition of “Rocky Top” before the game.
Manning was 3-1 as the Vols quarterback against Alabama and became the first quarterback in Tennessee history to win three straight against the Crimson Tide.
In his four-game stint, Manning was 65 of 109 for 919 yards and seven scores.
On Saturday, Chase McGrath made a 40-yard field goal as time expired to give No. 6 Tennessee a 52-49 victory over No. 3 Alabama. The Volunteers ended a 15-game losing streak to the Crimson Tide. It didn’t take long for the goal posts to go down. Hendon Hooker drove the Vols 45 yards in 18 seconds to set up the winner. Hyatt caught six passes for 207 yards and a Tennessee-record five touchdowns. Alabama quarterback Bryce Young, a game-time decision because of a sprained right shoulder two weeks ago, completed 35 passes for 455 yards and two TDs.
Mark Heim is a sports reporter for The Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Mark_Heim.