Peyton Manning hosts CMA Awards with Luke Bryan: What if someone tries to tackle us?
INDIANAPOLIS - Peyton Manning has his sleeves rolled up, a whiteboard in front of him and a dry-erase marker in his hand. He's drawn out the play -- a stage with circles below it representing the audience members. On stage is Manning and country music star Luke Bryan.
"I'm going this way," Manning says as he circles himself on the board with an arrow heading left offstage, "and someone comes up and tries to tackle us?"
"Peyton, it's not going to happen," Bryan says in a deadpan voice. "It's an awards show."
The show is the CMA Awards which airs Wednesday at 8 p.m. on ABC and the tackling question from Manning to Bryan is a joke, of course. Those NFL-laced jokes came in force in promos as Manning and Bryan teamed up to co-host the biggest night in country music.
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The two held a boot camp for one ABC promo where Bryan quizzed Manning with photos of country music legends like Reba McEntire and Darius Rucker. They practiced their high fives, with Manning telling Bryan to watch his elbow as they came together to make contact, after a missed slap.
Bryan, who hosted the CMA awards solo in 2021, says he knows what bringing Manning in was all about.
"I got to do this by myself last year and, obviously, I didn't do a good enough job so we had to go to the big guy here," he says pointing to Manning.
The two joke that ABC brought in the "reliever."
Since his NFL career ended with two Super Bowl rings in his pocket, one with Indianapolis and the other with Denver, Manning's career as an on-air guru has soared. In addition to his countless television ads, he and brother Eli have become stars on ESPN's ManningCast where the two announce and analyze Monday Night Football games.
And so, Bryan said, he's not anxious at all with Manning by his side.
“I’m certainly not nervous about Peyton and him messing up, because he’s got this TV stuff down,” Bryan says in an ABC promo, as Manning laughs in the background. “I mean, just watch the Super Bowl. He’s 83% of the commercials on the Super Bowl.”
'I'm a country music fan' boy
Manning might be the one who is a bit nervous.
"It's different for me because Luke is one of them, right, Luke is in the arena with all of these entertainers," Manning said. "For me, I'm a fan. I have a great appreciation for all the talents these men and women have."
Manning has always had a penchant for the country music scene. He has that southern drawl, country music friends and he hasn't been too shy to get up on stage and sing with some of the biggest performers in country music.
Manning is a great friend to Kenny Chesney who in 2001, at the height of his career and of Manning's as Colts quarterback, talked to IndyStar.
"We do all kinds of crazy stuff together," said Chesney, who met Manning when he played for Tennessee, Chesney's favorite college team. Chesney sang in Manning's wedding. Manning sang on stage at Chesney's concert at the New Orleans (Caesars) Super Dome.
"He really likes country music. He likes to sing," Archie Manning, Peyton's father, told IndyStar at the time. "(But) I don't think it's going to be a second career for him."
No. Manning's second career seems to be in television. And he will showcase that Wednesday at the 56th Annual CMA Awards at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena.
"When I was asked if Peyton Manning was someone I would consider co-hosting with, I didn't hesitate," Bryan said in a statement. "We have become great friends through the years and what he brings to the table is going to make it even more of a blast. I know he's been to the CMA Awards before, but he's never been with me. Hey Peyton, I hope you're ready for the night of your life."