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ARIZONA CARDINALS
Super Bowl LIII

Cardinals' Bruce Arians: Tennessee accusations against Peyton Manning 'sensationalism'

Lindsay H. Jones
USA TODAY Sports
Peyton Manning (18) was coached by Bruce Arians, right, when both were with the Colts from 1998-2000.

INDIANAPOLIS — Even as Peyton Manning continues to be the subject of stories about his actions at the University of Tennessee nearly two decades ago, he still has an an ally in Arizona Cardinals coach Bruce Arians.

In 1996, a former Tennessee trainer accused Manning of sexual assault. She said the quarterback placed his buttocks and genitals on her face while she was examining his injured foot.

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“If we all got nitpicked on what we did in college, we’d all be in trouble,” Arians said Wednesday at the NFL scouting combine.

Arians, who coached Manning in the first three seasons (1998-2000) of the quarterback's career with the Indianapolis Colts, called the story published by the New York Daily News in the days after Super Bowl 50 “sensationalism” and that the article gained traction because of Manning’s stature.

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“This was a bigger story because of who he is and what he just did, not what happened back then,” Arians said.

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Follow Lindsay H. Jones on Twitter @bylindsayhjones

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