Since retiring from the NFL, former New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning has become a media icon. Aside from the Eli Manning Show he does for the Giants' official website (Giants.com) and his appearance on the Manningcast, a secondary broadcast of Monday Night Football with his brother Peyton, Manning is probably more popular these days than he was as a player.
And now, an idea inspired by Manning a couple of years ago is headed to a streaming service near you.
The idea focuses on Chad Powers, a fictional character Manning created as part of his family's Omaha production company where Manning, in disguise as Powers, wanted to experience what it was like for a walk-on candidate to earn a spot on the Penn State football team.
The seven-minute video currently has 7.5 million views on YouTube. It has become one of the most popular ventures Manning has been a part of--so popular that streaming giant Hulu ordered a TV series based around the character's quest to be a walk-on for a fictitious and struggling Southern football team.
The series will star actor Glen Powell, who recently appeared in the hit movie Anyone But You with Sydney Sweeney. Powell sounded excited about the opportunity to play Powers, as he’s a huge college football fan.
“We’re both diehard college football fans,” said Powell and Waldron in a joint statement given to Deadline. “When we saw Eli as Chad Powers, we knew that was the way into a big, fun story about this world. We’re excited to be part of this team and can’t wait to get Chad in the game. Think fast, run fast.”
The new series is exciting for Manning, being accomplished for something other than his Giants career. Even though the show isn’t directly about him, the character he portrayed in just a short video has amounted to something nobody expected.
“The love for Chad Powers has surprised me in spectacular ways,” Manning said via Deadline. “I played 16 years in the NFL, but now when I’m in a restaurant or walking through an airport, it’s not uncommon for fans to scream, ‘Hey Chad!’ I’m so excited to team up with my friends Glen Powell, Michael Waldron, and Omaha Productions to continue to tell the Chad Powers story and see what he does next.”
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