Peyton Manning‘s Peyback Foundation has endowed six scholarships at four Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in Louisiana and two in Tennessee, according to a report Sunday from ESPN. Manning’s Peyback Foundation was founded in 1999 by Peyton and his wife, Ashley.
Here are the HBCUs listed as recipients:
- Grambling State University
- Southern University
- Tennessee State
- Fisk University
- Xavier University of Louisiana
- Dillard University
Doug Williams, the first black NFL quarterback to win a Super Bowl, has his name attached to the Grambling scholarship at request of the Peyback Foundation, according to Mortensen’s report. Williams endured some painful blindside hits as an NFL quarterback, but he embraced a recent one when he was informed that a certain foundation had endowed a scholarship in his name at his alma mater, Grambling State University.
“When I asked who did this, I was told the donor wished it to be anonymous,” said Williams, a senior vice president for the Washington Football Team.
“Ha, you know I have my connections at Grambling. I made a phone call and found out it was Peyton Manning’s foundation and it was endowing a half-dozen scholarships at historically Black colleges and universities [HBCUs]. Peyton is a Louisiana boy. I know he’s given to a lot of wonderful causes without publicity, but this was a most pleasant surprise for me.”
Harold Carmichael, an NFL Hall of Famer who played for the Philadelphia Eagles, will be named on the Southern scholarship. Wilma Rudolph, the decorated Olympic sprinter, will have her name on the scholarship at Tennessee State.
Manning declined to discuss the scholarship endowments when contacted by ESPN, with his foundation instead issuing a statement:
“The Peyback Foundation is honored to partner with these six colleges to honor distinguished Alumni and staff members, and to help college students at these schools now and many years to come. Really, for perpetuity.”
