Kenny Chesney‘s concert on Friday night (September 9) was all about two things…music and football. His concert occurred at the Bristol Motor Speedway, where one night later The University of Tennessee and Virginia Tech football teams competed against one another in the “Battle at Bristol.”
Chesney himself is a huge fan of Tennessee football, and football in general. His love for the sport was made clear in his 2010 single “The Boys of Fall,” which was a number one hit on the country charts and a Top 20 pop hit.
Since his concert took place on the eve of a huge game in college football, Chesney knew he couldn’t get away with the show without singing “Boys of Fall.” As he got the crowd pumped up with the song, he had a huge surprise in store waiting just to the side of the stage.
Stopping part of the way through the song, Chesney welcomed NFL star Peyton Manning to the stage. Manning got his start playing college football at The University of Tennessee before he entered the NFL. He retired following his Super Bowl win with the Denver Broncos last winter, and remains one of the most admired football stars of all time.
The crowd cheered like wild when Manning made his way on stage and greeted Chesney. They each signed a guitar, and then Manning picked out one young fan from the crowd to give him the gift of a lifetime.
This young fan was wearing a Tennessee jersey with the number 98, which was the year that Tennessee won the national championship. Together, Chesney and Manning presented the young fan with the signed guitar.
You can watch a fan-captured clip of Chesney’s entire “Boys of Fall” performance below. We’re sure the young fan who received that guitar will never forget that night!
