Josh Heupel on addresses the Nico Iamaleava saga:
“There’s no one that’s bigger than the Power T — that includes me.
“Today you got to see 110 guys that ran out and competed their butts off that give their all for Tennessee, and do it the right way.”
🧡💙🙏🏻
Peyton Manning Got a Wrong Number Text… And Ended Up Saving a Life
It started with a text message.
It was late. Nearly midnight.
Peyton Manning was sitting on his porch in Tennessee, sipping tea, unwinding after a long charity event.
And then his phone buzzed.
Unknown number. One sentence:
“Hey Coach, I messed up again. I’m sorry. I can’t do this anymore.”
Peyton stared at it.
Wrong number. Clearly.
But something about it felt heavy.
He replied:
“Hey — I think you might have the wrong number. But I’m here.
Whatever ‘this’ is… you don’t have to go through it alone.”
No response.
Ten minutes passed.
Then twenty.
Then…
“I’m so sorry. I thought you were my old high school football coach.
I didn’t mean to bother you. I’m not okay. I don’t know why I sent that.”
Peyton’s heart sank.
He could’ve ended it there.
But he didn’t.
Instead, he texted back:
“Look — you don’t know me, but I’ve made mistakes too.
And I’ve felt like quitting.
But I promise you this: it gets better.
Tonight isn’t the end of your story.”
They texted for over an hour.
The stranger eventually shared his name: Brandon.
24 years old.
Battling addiction.
No family left.
Was about to make a choice he couldn’t undo.
And then — a text went to the wrong number.
Or maybe… the right one.
Peyton connected him with a recovery group the next day.
Paid for his first month of treatment.
Never went public with it.
But a year later, Brandon sent him a photo:
Smiling.
Sober.
Standing outside his new job with a hand-written sign that said:
“Thanks for answering. I’m still here.”
🏈 Peyton Manning never meant to be anyone’s lifeline that night…
But because he chose kindness over convenience —
a life was still lived.
The reasons why merit pay doesn’t work:
1. There’s an incentive to cheat on the test.
2. Disincentive to work in low income, struggling schools.
3. Arguments over class lists and roster assignments.
4. Fosters unhealthy competition instead of collaboration between colleagues
Education isn’t broken because of teachers. It’s broken because we ask teachers to be counselors, social workers, parents, and miracle workers—while still demanding perfect test scores. Fix the system, not the people holding it together.
Been a rough weekend. Got word Friday evening that one of my close friends passed away. I had just visited her Thursday afternoon. My friend group is in shock. 💔