In spite of his career-long inconsistency, Eli Manning is best remembered for leading the New York Giants to upset wins over the dynastic New England Patriots in Super Bowls XLII and XLVI. The former is widely considered one of the greatest sports upsets of all time, as the Giants came from behind to beat the first undefeated regular season Patriots squad in franchise history. To date, only five players—including Manning—have won the Super Bowl MVP title more than once.
Manning started at quarterback for the Giants from 2004 until this year, and he now owns the franchise records for passing yards, touchdown passes, and completions. Never sidelined by injury, he started every game from 2004 through 2017, a total of 210 contests, the third-longest such streak ever for an NFL quarterback. Both Manning’s passing yardage and touchdown totals place him in the top ten all-time.
Eli Manning Early Life
Elisha Nelson Manning IV, the youngest of three sons, entered this world on January 3, 1981, in New Orleans, Louisiana. Elisha Archibald “Archie” Manning III, his father, was an NFL quarterback. Peyton Manning, a former NFL quarterback, and Cooper Manning, a host on Fox Sports, are his older brothers. He played high school football and basketball at New Orleans’ Isidore Newman School. Manning threw for 7,389 yards and 89 touchdowns during his high school football career.
Eli Manning College Football Career
The elder Manning was already a legend at Ole Miss (The University of Mississippi) when the younger Manning enrolled there. In addition, Cooper Manning’s older brother had committed to playing for Ole Miss before a diagnosis of spinal stenosis derailed his career. Manning started only six games as a freshman, but after the departure of senior player Romaro Miller, he was the starter the next year.
A 10-3 record and a victory in the SBC Cotton Bowl Classic over Oklahoma State were the results of his senior season as the Rebels’ quarterback. After graduating from college, he was honoured with various accolades, including the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, the Southeastern Conference’s Most Valuable Player Award, and the Maxwell Award as the nation’s top player. In 2003, he ran for the Heisman Trophy and ultimately came in third place. During his time at college, he threw for 10,119 yards, 81 touchdowns, and a passer rating of 137.7. Having studied marketing at Ole Miss, he is now successfully employed.
Eli Manning Professional Football Career
In 2004, Manning entered the NFL Draft as the top overall pick. Both Eli Manning and his father openly claimed that he would not play for the San Diego Chargers if they were to take him because of the team’s treatment of quarterback Ryan Leaf. The San Diego Chargers selected Manning because the New York Giants agreed to sell Philip Rivers, the third-round pick in 2004, the first-round pick in 2005, and the fifth-round pick in 2005 to them in exchange for a draft-and-trade transaction. Manning agreed to a $45 million deal over six years with the Giants.
He did it in memory of his older brother, Cooper Manning, whose football career was cut short when he was diagnosed with spinal stenosis. He had also committed to play for Ole Miss. The Giants hadn’t been to the Super Bowl since 2001, but because to Manning’s leadership, they made it there in 2008. The Giants surprised everyone by defeating the unbeaten New England Patriots 17-14 in Super Bowl XLII.
When Plaxico Burress caught a 13-yard touchdown pass from Manning with 35 seconds left in the game, he became the first quarterback to toss a game-winning touchdown in the NFL championship game when a field goal would not have tied the game. Manning was awarded the game’s MVP because to his stellar performance. And then in 2012, he repeated his performance at Super Bowl XLVI, leading the Giants to a 21-17 victory over the Patriots and earning MVP honours for the second time.
Eli Manning Other Ventures
2-0!!!! pic.twitter.com/yZceufvSsW
— Eli Manning (@EliManning) September 18, 2022
During his professional career, Manning was also one of the most paid celebrity endorsers in the world. Through endorsement deals with companies like Gatorade, DirecTV, Toyota, Reebok, Kraft, Citizen, and Samsung, he often brought in between $8 and $10 million year. He has appeared in commercials for NFLShop.com and Oreo alongside his sibling Peyton. In addition, Eli, Peyton, and Archie Manning wrote a children’s book called “Family Huddle” about their experiences playing football as kids.
Eli Manning Personal Life
While attending Ole Miss, Manning first crossed paths with Abby McGrew. He asked her to be his wife in 2007, and they tied the knot in a small ceremony in San José del Cabo, Mexico, on April 19, 2008. Together, they’ve started a family that now includes three young ladies and a young man, all of whom call Summit, New Jersey home.
