You read that right. Tennessee football legend Peyton Manning is going to help teach at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville this fall.

The College of Communication and Information has appointed the entrepreneur and former Vols quarterback as a "professor of practice" given his experience and expertise in media.

He'll be a guest expert in classes that cover leadership and communication, public speaking, sports reporting and video production. He will be teaching in-person and without pay in true Volunteer spirit. It's not been announced if he'll teach beyond this academic year.

Manning graduated from UT in 1997 with a degree in speech communication, so it's a homecoming for him.

“My time as a student in the College of Communication and Information was a foundational experience during which I learned critical skills and messaging techniques that I continue to put to use almost daily,” Manning told UT News. “I look forward to working with the college’s talented faculty and directly with students in an effort to ensure they are well prepared for their future careers.”

Along with his football career, Manning has been a host and guest on sports programs for ESPN and NBC, starred in several commercials (famously the Nationwide commercials) and lent his voice to cartoons including "The Simpsons" and the film "Ferdinand."

He started Omaha Productions in 2020. The company produces several sports-related shows, award programs and game shows.

Manning has been a spokesperson for Bush's Baked Beans and has produced a campaign of commercials. Bush's is headquartered in Knoxville.

Manning rewrote the Tennessee record book during his four years as a Vol when he was 39-6 as the starting quarterback. He holds the record for passing yards with 11,201 yards and passing touchdowns with 89.

He was the No. 1 pick in the 1998 NFL Draft and spent 18 years in the NFL with the Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos. He was named MVP five times and won a pair of Super Bowls before retiring in 2016. When he retired, Manning was the NFL’s all-time passing leader with 71,940 yards and 539 touchdowns.

The New Orleans native was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame in 2021.

Knox News reporter Mike Wilson contributed to this story.

Keenan Thomas is a higher education reporter. Email keenan.thomas@knoxnews.com. Twitter @specialk2real.

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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Peyton Manning named University of Tennessee Knoxville professor