Peyton Manning jokes that parents don’t want him coaching their children because of behaviour in SNL skit

Skit sees famed quarterback throwing footballs at young children

Chelsea Ritschel
New York
Tuesday 22 June 2021 16:54 EDT
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Peyton Manning says parents didn’t want him coaching kids after SNL skit

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Peyton Manning has jokingly revealed that fellow parents shy away from having him coach their children because of his role in a Saturday Night Live skit.

The former football star, who retired from the game in 2016 after winning an NFL-record five MVP awards, opened up about the concerns of fellow parents during an appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show, where he reflected on the impact of the 2013 skit, which saw him throwing footballs at young children.

In response to Clarkson’s question of whether Manning ever coaches his children, son Marshall, 10, and daughter Mosley, 10, the quarterback said that he tries to be very present in this chapter of their lives, just like his own dad was for him.

“I coached my son’s flag football team and I helped out with my daughter’s softball team,” he continued. “It’s a lot of fun. It’s a great way to spend time with your kids.”

However, according to the 45-year-old, not all the parents are comfortable with the idea of him coaching after seeing him play a football coach on SNL, where he informed the children they “suck” in addition to pelting them with balls.

Elsewhere in the clip, the football star could be seen showing the assembled children how to break into a car and encouraging one young boy to receive a playground tattoo.

“I got to tell you, Kelly, some of the parents of the other kids on the team were a little hesitant at first,” Manning revealed. “The last time they really saw me ever doing any coaching was on this Saturday Night Live skit where I was pegging seven-year-old kids in the head with footballs, and I think these parents were like: ‘Are we sure we want our kid to play on your team?’”

According to Manning, he handled the concerns by assuring the parents the actions performed on SNL were just for entertainment.

“I’m like: ‘It was Saturday Night Live, it was a spoof skit, relax. I’m not going to do that to your kids,’” he explained, before adding: “Probably not.”

The confession prompted Clarkson to play a portion of the SNL skit, before informing Manning that if “you were my kids’ coach, I’d laugh at that”.

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