Why Was Football Legend Peyton Manning Visiting Idaho Last Week?
Idaho's no stranger to celebrity sightings! Famous faces pop-up in Sun Valley and McCall all the time, but this celebrity sighting happened in an even smaller town.
The source of the celebrity sighting is a celebrity in his own right! Country artist, Jordan Davis, shared photos of a hunting trip he went on in none other than Hagerman, Idaho! His post talked about how great the hunting one but said the company was hard to beat. We're inclined to agree, because look at who the company was!
The company was none other than NFL legend and Pro Football Hall of Famer, Peyton Manning! We'd love to know a little more about the hunting trip, but Peyton Manning is one of those celebrities that doesn't get mixed up in social media. All we know about this specific trip is that the final picture is NOT of a home that Manning owns. Davis's guitarist asked if it was on Instagram and Davis replied "That was the Lodge…It was unreal."
This wasn't the first time that Manning has gone duck hunting in Idaho! According to Bill Colley at our sister station KLIX in Twin Falls, Manning was hunting near Hagerman around the same time, last year. Forrest Andersen, who is the owner of Washington Street Pawn in Twin Falls, and his son ran into the famous quarterback while shooting with some members of the military. In his Facebook post about the encounter, Anderson said "it was fun to meet a very kind football star but a true honor and privilege to train our nation's finest."
Manning's got a soft spot for Idaho. In 2019, Wendell High School was one of ten schools to receive one of Payton Manning's 10 "Smarter Football Grant." In a personalized video message to the school, he let the team know they'd be receiving new equipment. Just how much? According to Riddell, Manning's partner for the grant, it was $10,000 worth of their helmets shoulder pads, apparel and blocking equipment.
Like we mentioned, Manning's not the only celebrity you're likely to encounter in Idaho! Here's 10 others that frequently visit the Gem State!