ESPN New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley got a kick out of Chad Powers.
A completely unknown “walk-on quarterback” who recently worked out for Saquon Barkley’s alma mater is taking social media by storm.
The reason everyone’s talking about Chad Powers is because he’s actually Eli Manning in disguise. For an upcoming episode of Eli’s Places on ESPN+, the legendary New York Giants quarterback went undercover and tried out for the Penn State football team. A clip of the segment started going viral on Monday, and Barkley clearly got a kick out of it.
“I’m crying [three laughing emojis],” Barkley wrote on Twitter while sharing the clip.
If you haven’t seen it yet, here’s the full Chad Powers segment, which already has over 4 million views on YouTube.
In the segment, Manning got an entirely new look from a professional make-up artist. He showed up to his Penn State workout with a mustache and long, flowing hair. There was some immediate skepticism among the staff and players, but Manning ultimately convinced everyone that he’s actually a freshman who was homeschooled.
This was one of the best exchanges between Manning and a Penn State coach:
COACH: What was the last team you played on?
MANNING: I was homeschooled So, I never played ball.
COACH: Really?
MANNING: Pick-up ball. Watched a lot of film, though.
COACH: Love that.
MANNING: My mom was my coach.
COACH: Your mom was what?
MANNING: My mom was my coach — and my teacher.
COACH: Did you get good grades?
MANNING: Nope.
COACH: Tough teacher?
MANNING: She wasn’t very smart. She was a good coach, though.
COACH: Love that.
The funniest part of Manning’s workout is probably the 40-yard dash. He ran it in 5.49 seconds while repeating to himself the mantra, “Think fast, run fast.” Penn State head coach James Franklin, who was in on the joke, shouted out the embarrassingly slow time.
Throughout the segment, Manning was cracking jokes while speaking in the third-person as Chad Powers. When the passing drills started, however, the Penn State coaching staff was legitimately impressed.
“I want to sign this Chad Powers guy,” one coach said. “I think I see something in him.”
At the end of the segment, there was a big reveal and Manning told an actual walk-on player that he’s getting a scholarship from Penn State.
Eli Manning Reminds Saquon Barkley of Hilarious Lesson
Chad Powers will never play a down for Penn State, but Saquon Barkley still has a soft spot for Eli Manning. During Monday Night Football in Week 1, Barkley joined Peyton and Eli’s simulcast on ESPN2 and they rehashed an old lesson from their time as teammates.
“If I tell you to go run a certain route, you go ahead and run it. If I tell you tomorrow is Easter, go paint some eggs.”
@EliManning gave @saquon some notable advice his rookie season 😂
“If I tell you to run a certain route, you go ahead and run it,” Manning said. “If I tell you tomorrow is Easter, go paint some eggs.”
Manning and Barkley played together with the Giants from 2018-19, and they apparently still have a solid friendship to this day.
Eli Manning Takes Opportunity to Dunk on His Dad
With Chad Powers going viral, Eli Manning took the opportunity to share an old photo of his father Archie Manning, who played 15 seasons in the NFL with the New Orleans Saints, Houston Oilers and Minnesota Vikings from 1971-1984.
I don’t always dress up like my dad, but when I do…. I go by Chad Powers
“I don’t always dress up like my dad, but when I do… I go by Chad Powers,” Manning tweeted.
The resemblance is uncanny.