Yes, herself. This particular Peyton Manning is an eighteen-year-old woman from Nashville whose relatively modest arrest has made headlines across the country because her parents chose to name her after a certain legendary quarterback who played his college ball at Tennessee. Here are the details.
According to WSMV-TV, Manning was pulled over near Elm Pike Hill and Briley Parkway in Nashville around midnight as May 18 was turning into May 19.The Tennessean newspaper points out that she was accompanied by eighteen-year-old Kenneth Sowards, who's no doubt thrilled that his name is buzzing around the Internet right now, too.
The rationale for the stop was reportedly that Manning was driving with her high beams on. But things got more serious when the arresting officer scented marijuana.
Hence, another association, sort of, with the more famous Peyton Manning. Granted, he never asked to be linked to weed, unless you consider his investment in Papa Johns pizza affiliates to have been pot-legalization related, as do the Meme Makers of America....
Back in Tennessee, the cop with a nose for pot subsequently searched the female Manning's car and found two mason jars filled with marijuana plus a couple plastic bags filled with cocaine that had been dumped into a cup of Coca-Cola.Since cocaine was an original ingredient of Coca-Cola, some might see this as an example of the white powder going home again. But Nashville police don't seem particularly amused, especially considering that text messages found on Manning's phone allegedly "mentioned cocaine use and money in her purse that was consistent with bills used in a drug deal," the Tennessean notes.
As a result, Manning was arrested on suspicion of possessing cocaine, marijuana and drug paraphernalia; she's also said to have had a pill crusher. At last report, she was in jail on a $20,000 bond.
Do these events make Manning's mom and dad regret naming her Peyton? Hard to say -- but there's a good chance she does. Here's a larger look at this Peyton Manning's mug shot.
Send your story tips to the author, Michael Roberts.
More from our Sports archive circa January 22: "Photos: Our fifteen favorite Super Bowl pot memes -- so far."
