Peyton ManningMultiple AuthorsMar 29, 2026, 07:20 AM ET
“Celebrating Pat Summitt: Live Reunion Special,” sponsored by Eli Lilly and Company, will premiere Sunday at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2 and will be available to stream on the ESPN App.
“Breaking Glass: The Pat Summitt Story,” from director Dawn Porter, premieres on ESPN2 on Sunday at 5:30 p.m. ET.
In early 1997, I faced one of the hardest decisions of my life to that point. I pride myself on being decisive and prepared for anything — but I was truly torn between realizing my NFL dreams and staying in Knoxville for one more year.
It was the middle of a challenging regular season for the Lady Vols. Coming off a national title, they lost five of eight games at one point. By mid-January, they’d fallen out of the top 10 for the first time in more than a decade. Needless to say, Pat Summitt had a lot on her plate.
But that wasn’t Pat. I sat in her office for two hours, soaking in her words of wisdom. She had a gift for making you feel immediately at ease.
That meeting helped me understand that I wanted to return to Knoxville for one more season. It also solidified a lifelong, cherished friendship.
And of course, Pat somehow turned that season around and the Lady Vols won a second straight national title.
I have so many irreplaceable memories from that final year at Tennessee. Among them, I got to be on campus when the “Three Meeks” — Tamika Catchings, Semeka Randall and Chamique Holdsclaw — completed the unprecedented three-peat with an incredible 39-0 season in 1997-98.
My teammates and I loved going to their games. Every one of us would have been proud to call Pat Summitt our coach. I have zero doubt that she would have succeeded in any sport.
Pat bravely went public with her diagnosis in 2011 and soon after launched The Pat Summitt Foundation. Amid her own courageous battle, she worked to help reduce the stigma around Alzheimer’s disease.
A decade after her death, we continue to fight on her behalf. I’m so proud to serve as an honorary co-chair of her foundation. To date, the foundation has awarded over $6 million to nonprofit organizations committed to research, patient care and awareness. At the same time, leaders across the health care community are helping advance the conversation around brain health, early detection, proactive care and ongoing dialogue with medical professionals.
There’s a cruel irony in the fact that someone who created such unforgettable memories for others was stripped of her own memory. But that’s also why it is so important to honor her memory and celebrate her legacy.
I’m so proud to present “Celebrating Pat Summitt: Live Reunion Special.” Hearing the stories from that night brought back a lot of great memories. I hope it offers a glimpse into what made her such a rare person.
In my office, I keep a small collection of memorabilia. In that room, I have two basketballs Pat Summitt signed for my children. It’s my constant reminder of someone I was lucky to call a friend.
I was torn, so I turned to someone I’d come to trust and admire: Pat Summitt.