Tennessee’s Manning Gets Early Start On Heisman Hype

Even though Peyton Manning said his return to college football isn’t driven by a quest for the Heisman Trophy, the University of Tennessee is doing all it can to make sure he wins.

Months before the public relations departments of other schools begin pushes for their candidates, the University of Tennessee mailed more than 1,000 publicity kits adorned with “Peyton Manning, Heisman candidate” on the envelope to media members who vote for the award.

“We want to make sure that people know who our particular candidate is,” said Bud Ford, media relations director at Tennessee.

The packet had a four-page profile of Manning’s career, a standard recap of spring practice and a schedule poster with a photograph of co-captains Manning and Leonard Little and coach Phillip Fulmer.

Other schools with potential candidates for college football’s top individual award said they don’t plan to start any publicity pushes until around the start of the football season.

“I don’t think you’re going to win the award in May,” said Steve Malchow, University of Wisconsin sports information director, who has a candidate of his own to promote. Badgers running back Ron Dayne is the top returning vote-getter after Manning.

“We’re not going to get goofy,” Malchow said. Wisconsin coach Barry Alvarez believes the award is won on the field, not in the publicity office, Malchow said.

At Syracuse University, the sports information office is going to wait to see how the season progresses before it starts promoting quarterback Donovan McNabb, who trailed only Manning and Dayne among returning candidates in last season’s voting. If Syracuse goes 11-0 or 10-1, the school will put together a packet highlighting the season, said Larry Kimball, sports information director.

“We pretty much let what he does on the field speak for him,” Kimball said.

Another reason Wisconsin and Syracuse are waiting is because the schools meet Aug. 24 in the Kickoff Classic. A loss in a head-to-head matchup would hurt their candidate’s chance.

For example, Manning and Tennessee lost the third game of the 1996 season to the University of Florida and quarterback Danny Wuerffel, who won the Heisman.

Even without the early push from Tennessee’s publicity department, Manning will start the 1997 season as the heavy favorite to win.

“We’re in more of an awareness situation than a promotional situation,” said Tennessee’s Ford.

Most college football observers are already familiar with Manning’s career. He gained even more national notoriety in the months before the National Football League draft, when he was deciding whether to turn pro or complete his college eligibility.

On March 5, he decided against the NFL, where he likely would have been the top pick in the draft. The decision was magnified in New York because the Jets had the No. 1 pick.

“He has a big advantage,” Kimball said. “He got a ton of publicity.”

Manning’s father, Archie, a former quarterback with the National Football League’s New Orleans Saints, said fliers, posters and gimmicks won’t make the difference in winning the Heisman - performance will.

“People get influenced by certain things,” the elder Manning said. “But when it comes down to it, the majority of the voters vote for the best player.”

Not all college football officials disagree with starting a Heisman campaign in the spring. Former Ohio State running back Archie Griffin, the only player ever to win the Heisman twice, said there’s nothing wrong with a school trying to give its player the best possible chance to win the award.

“I give kudos to them for that,” said Griffin, an associate athletic director with the Buckeyes. “Even though Peyton Manning doesn’t need any hype going into the season.”

At Notre Dame, hype isn’t needed, said sports information director John Heisler. The school has produced seven Heisman winners, more than any other program, and is the only school to have every game on national television.

This year’s candidate is senior quarterback Ron Powlus, whose injury-plagued career has fallen short of expectations.

Powlus, whose talents as a passer never developed under the conservative offense of former coach Lou Holtz, might have a breakout senior season under Bob Davie.

Even if his play warrants Heisman consideration, Heisler said Notre Dame won’t campaign for the award.