What To Know About Eli Manning’s Chad Powers Segment On ESPN’s ‘Eli’s Places’

Hulu‘s new original series, Chad Powers, has a premise so unique, yet seemingly doable, that viewers may find themselves asking, “Is Chad Powers based on a true story?!”

The sports comedy, co-created by Glen Powell and Michael Waldron, stars Powell as superstar quarterback Russ Holliday, whose career comes to a disastrous halt after a fateful game at the Rose Bowl. Eight years after he getting canceled for bad behavior and a mortifying loss, Russ figures out how to relive his glory days and get a second chance at his dreams. He uses Hollywood-level facial prosthetics and a wig to disguise himself, changes his voice, invents a backstory, and walks on to college football tryouts as a man named Chad Powers.

Spoiler alert: Chad Powers becomes a QB on the South Georgia Catfish! And his own catfishing journey is so delightfully ridiculous and thought-provoking that it will have you asking if anyone has disguised themselves on the field in real life. The answer? Yes!

Is Chad Powers a real person? Is Hulu’s comedy Chad Powers based on a true story? And what role does Chad Powers‘ executive producer Eli Manning play in inspiring the show? Here’s what to know about the real-life inspo behind Glen Powell’s titular character.

Is Chad Powers Based On A True Story? What To Know About Eli Manning’s Eli’s Places On ESPN

First things first: No, Chad Powers isn’t a real person. Nor is Russ Holliday. But even though the Hulu series isn’t based on a real person, Chad Powers is technically inspired by a true story, because Eli Manning once donned his own prosthetics and created a Chad Powers alternate identity so he could go undercover as a walk-on at Penn State in an epic prank/research sesh.

In a special segment during a 2022 episode of Manning’s college football-focused ESPN show, Eli’s Places (produced by NFL Films and Omaha Productions), the former pro quarterback headed to Penn State University to try to better understand the walk-on experience by trying it out first-hand. Naturally, Penn State’s coach thought Manning would be a major distraction to prospective players, so Manning called in back-up.

“If I was going to blend in as a college student, I needed to look the part, so I hired a team of Hollywood makeup artists,” Manning explained. After his face and hair were visually transformed by prosthetics that closely resemble those Glen Powell wears in the Hulu series, the legendary QB set out to craft his backstory.

“How about this? My name’s Chad Powers. I’m a substitute teacher and part-time bartender, and I get to try out for my favorite team,” Manning said. After realizing his story was too close to Mark Wahlberg’s in Invincible, he made some edits: “How about, my name’s Chad Powers. I’m a substitute teacher and part-time carpenter, and I get to walk on and try out for my favorite team.”

And just like that, Chad Powers was born! Like Powell in Chad Powers, Manning adopted a whole new personality to fit Chad. Also like the show, Manning told coaches at Penn State that Chad was home schooled and hadn’t played the game professionally prior to his walk-on.

Unlike Powell’s character in the Hulu comedy, Manning’s Chad Powers didn’t make the team, and his peers suspected something was fishy about him. After coaches declared Chad Powers ineligible to make the team, Manning removed his prosthetics and revealed his findings: “Walk-ons give their heart and soul to the game.” He not only joined the Penn State team at practice later — as Eli Manning, not Chad Powers — to help inspire the college athletes, but ultimately went on to inspire the Hulu series. You can watch the OG segment below!

Powell and Waldron, who also serve as EPs, co-wrote the Chad Powers pilot. Plus, Eli and Peyton Manning also serve as EPs, along with Jamie Horowitz, Ben Brown, ESPN’s Burke Magnus, Brian Lockhart, Kati Fernandez, and more. So in addition to the real-life inspo, Chad Powers made sure that Manning and a number of other experts are signing off on the series to ensure authenticity.

New episodes of Chad Powers premiere Tuesdays on Hulu.