Peyton Manning may be retired, but his impact on football shows no signs of stopping.

The former Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos quarterback, in partnership with Riddell, awarded equipment grants to 10 football programs (seven high school and three youth teams) across America that take a proactive approach to ensuring their players stay safe and positively impact their communities.

This effort, dubbed “Smarter Football,” gave each organization $10,000 to use on helmets, shoulder pads, padded apparel and blocking equipment. The grant also includes use of Riddell’s InSite smart helmet technology, which monitors atypical head impacts and identifies training opportunities for coaching staffs, in real-time, to help correct and improve player behavior.

“I’m proud to help ensure these 10 teams’ commitment to player safety is taken to the next level with industry-leading protective equipment from Riddell,” Manning said. “It’s remarkable to learn about the difference these teams make on developing young athletes and collectively improving the sport. These organizations are truly the future of football and set a great example for others to follow.”

Manning surprised each program with a congratulatory video, and even dropped in on Peoria High School (Illinois), which was named the Team of the Future for being one of the first high schools in America to be fully outfitted with the smart helmet technology.

Manning joined Peoria High School on the field, where he coached them for a full day ahead of the regular season.

 

 

The other recipients of the 2019 Riddell Smarter Football equipment grants are:

Frankfort High School, Franklin, IN
Wendell High School, Wendell, ID
Newton Conover High School, Newton, NC
Apalachee High School, Winder, GA
Cardinal O’Hara High School, Tonawanda, NY
Texas School for the Deaf, Austin, TX
Canyon Country High School, Canyon Country, CA
Farmington Youth Football, Farmington, MN
Wilkinson County Youth Football, Centreville, MS
Hummelstown Youth Football, Hummelstown, PA

How’s that for Hall of Fame material?