What's it like to intercept an Arch Manning pass? ‘It was just amazing'

New York Times

27-03-2025

Tony Burns arrived at Southwest Mississippi Community College last fall with a reputation. He wasn't a blue-chip prospect or a household name in recruiting circles. But he accomplished something during his junior season at University Lab High in Baton Rouge, La., that made him somewhat of a celebrity.
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'My teammates asked me,' Burns said, ''Didn't you pick off Arch Manning?' I'm like, 'Yeah, I won't be trying to make it a big deal.'
'(But) it's Arch Manning. Everybody knows him.'
For the past two seasons, Manning has been the most famous backup quarterback in college football. Now, with Quinn Ewers off to the NFL, Manning will take over as the starter on a Texas team expected to contend for a national championship. It's not an exaggeration to call him one of the most hyped college football players … ever.
And someday, Burns and his close friend and former teammate, Marcus Dawson Jr., will tell their children about the day they got the best of the No. 1 prospect in the Class of 2023.
Before Manning signed with Texas — in one of the most high-profile recruitments in decades — he threw just two interceptions during an otherwise flawless senior year at Isidore Newman School in New Orleans. Both came in the final game of his career, a 49-13 loss to University Lab in the third round of the Division III LHSAA Playoffs.
Burns recorded the first pick a few minutes into the third quarter. Dawson came up with the second — a 100-yard pick six early in the fourth that extended the Cubs' lead to 42-6.
Welcome to their two-person club.
'Tony was like my best friend,' said Dawson, now a redshirt freshman defensive back at Nicholls. 'We played DB with each other all through middle school and high school, so we had good chemistry. Before the game, we were saying, 'We're gonna catch an interception one way or another.' We had it on our mind.
'(When we both did), we were just like, 'Boy, we really just did that. Just picked off the No. 1 quarterback in the nation.''
No one on University Lab's scout team could realistically replicate just how dynamic Manning was with the ball in his hand, but head coach Andy Martin and his team had pored over film all week looking for tendencies, how the ball came out of his hands, the way he spun it and the decisions he made. That diligence almost paid off in the first half when Manning threw the ball right to Burns.
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But he dropped it.
'I was like, 'He's going to throw it to me again,'' Burns said of his halftime mindset, almost manifesting the future. ''He's gotta throw it to me again.' And when we came out of halftime, he just threw it right to me.'
The throw was low, Martin remembered. A rare miscue from the best quarterback in the country, who hadn't thrown a pick in 364 days and had already broken school records for passing yards and touchdowns previously held by his famous uncles, Peyton and Eli.
'I was like, 'Oh!' It was just amazing. I was just happy because it was too many emotions going through the game,' Burns said. 'We were winning. I'm like, 'I just picked off Arch Manning.' I didn't even know I was his first interception.'
One quarter later, it was Dawson's turn.
With Newman in the red zone early in the fourth quarter, Manning tried to squeeze a ball through traffic to a receiver in the end zone.
'He was staring because he knew I was one of the good safeties on my team, so the whole game, he was kind of looking me off a lot,' said Dawson, who was a three-star prospect in the Class of 2024. 'And then it came to that play. I was just in the right position. I just remember the ball coming right to my hands, and then as soon as I caught it, I just got to running.'
Dawson sprinted those 100 yards downfield on a bum ankle with two torn ligaments. He practically willed himself to the goal line.
'I'm processing it,' he said. 'I'm like, 'Dang, I just picked him off. One of the top quarterbacks, I just picked him off.' That was in my head when I caught it. And then at the same time, I'm like, 'Oh, I gotta score now.'
'A 100-yard pick six in high school, I mean — it's kinda good. It's just crazy a little bit.'
pic.twitter.com/2F7RYwuYiM
— Marcus Dawson (@BIGDAWSON75) November 26, 2022
Manning was extremely gracious in defeat and congratulated the Cubs following the game, which Martin said only confirmed his admiration for the young quarterback. 'A class act,' the coach said.
In the end, University Lab was the better team and was able to cash in on a few risky throws from a quarterback who made it look easy for much of the season.
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'We knew coming in, that was one of our themes — we knew that he didn't make mistakes. And that was so big for him,' Martin said. 'You don't see that much in high school — a guy that can be that good and just not make any mistakes. He was a heck of a player. He really was.'
With Manning now set to take over in Austin, count Martin, Dawson and Burns among his many fans.
'I think he's gonna do great. I really do. I think the sky's the limit for him. He's just so impressive,' Martin said.
'I think it'll be awesome. … He's a good QB,' Burns added.
'Oh yeah,' Dawson said. 'He's going to do excellent at Texas.'
Both players do have one last wish, though.
'Hopefully, I get to play against him again,' said Burns, who plans to commit to a four-year school after one more season in junior college.
Dawson took it a step further.
'Hopefully,' he said, 'one day we'll both be big somewhere in the NFL.'
(Photos of Tony Burns and Marcus Dawson Jr. courtesy of Tony Burns)