College career
Prior to deciding which college to attend, Manning received a call from David Cutcliffe, formerly the offensive coordinator at the University of Tennessee. Cutcliffe had been hired as the head coach at Ole Miss and had previously helped Eli's older brother Peyton improve his game. Upon learning Cutcliffe was now in charge of the Rebel program, the 18-year-old followed his father’s footsteps, and made his way to Oxford, Mississippi.
During his football career at Ole Miss, Eli set or tied 45 single-game, season, and career records. His career numbers include 10,119 passing yards (fifth on the SEC career list), 81 touchdown passes (third on the SEC career list), and a passer rating of 137.7 (tied for sixth on the SEC career list). Manning also led the Rebels to a 10-3 record and a 31-28 SBC Cotton Bowl victory over the Oklahoma State Cowboys in 2003. He was invited to play in the 2004 Senior Bowl, but chose not to play.
As his senior year came to a close, Eli won many awards including the Maxwell Award as the nation’s best all-around player, the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame Scholar Athlete Award, the Sporting News Radio Socrates Award, and the SEC Player of the Year. He was also a candidate for the Heisman Trophy but voters chose Oklahoma's quarterback Jason White (1,481 voting points) to win the award. Eli had 710 voting points making him third behind White and Pittsburgh's sophomore wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald.
Manning graduated from the University of Mississippi with a degree in Marketing and a GPA of 3.44.
Professional career
2004 NFL Draft
Main article: Manning–Rivers trade
The San Diego Chargers originally held the rights to the overall first pick in the 2004 NFL Draft. With Manning being the most highly coveted player in the draft, it appeared that the Chargers intentions were to draft Manning first overall. However, Manning had publicly refused to play for the Chargers if drafted by them. The Chargers selected him with the first pick overall nonetheless as the team had a deal in place with the New York Giants, where the Giants would draft and then trade Philip Rivers and draft picks (used to pick future Pro Bowlers Shawne Merriman and Nate Kaeding) to the Chargers for Manning. It is not entirely clear why Manning did not wish to play for the Chargers.
[edit] 2006 season
See also: 2006 New York Giants season
Manning's second full season was reminiscent of his 2005 campaign. He started off playing well and completed over 65 percent of his passes through the first four games. However, he struggled in the second half of the season and his production diminished towards the end of the regular season. After losing a tough game to his brother Peyton and the Colts on opening day[5], Eli and the Giants rebounded from a 24-7 4th-quarter deficit en route to a 30-24 overtime victory over the division rival Eagles in week two.[6] Manning threw for a career high 371 yards in the win with three touchdowns including a game winning pass to Plaxico Burress in overtime.[7] Following a poor performance against Seattle the next week[8], Manning and the Giants responded by winning five straight games including wins over the Redskins, Cowboys and Falcons to push their record to 6-2.
Following this winning streak, key injuries including one to receiver Amani Toomer pushed Eli Manning and the Giants into a downward slide. [10] Playing against the Chicago Bears, Manning started well, but the Giant's offense was derailed by the loss of left tackle Luke Petitgout to a broken leg.[11] Manning was held to only 141 yards passing with two interceptions. Petigout's loss left a gaping hole at the crucial left tackle position, and Manning was unable to repeat his first half success. Manning struggled the next week at Jacksonville[12] and the week after that, a costly interception helped to culminate a huge collapse at Tennessee, with the Giants seeing a 21-point fourth quarter lead simply evaporate.[13] Manning improved the following week, throwing for 270 yards and two touchdowns, but the Giants lost again. Finally regaining momentum, Manning threw three touchdowns in a win at Carolina[14], but then he stumbled badly in the final three games. He threw two interceptions against the Eagles and tallied only 73 passing yards in a game against the Saints. Although the Giants battled back to 8-8 the following week at Washington, Manning completed only 12 of 26 passes for 101 yards and one touchdown. The Giants qualified for the postseason and met the Eagles again. Although he did significantly better in this game than the 2005 playoff matchup, completing 16 of 27 passes and two touchdowns, the Giants lost to a last second field goal by the Eagles.
For the year, Manning threw for 3,244 yards, 24 touchdowns and 18 interceptions. He completed 57.7 percent of his passes, a five point improvement from 2005, but he again struggled badly in the second half of the season. Manning finished the season with a mediocre quarterback efficiency rating of 77.0 (18th in the league) thanks to a lackluster 6.2 yards per attempt. He was generally perceived to be a solid quarterback, but he lacked the more notable successes of fellow 2004 draftees Phillip Rivers (for whom he was traded) and Ben Roethlisberger.
2007 season
See also: 2007 New York Giants season
Preparation for 2007
Eli Manning during the Giants 2007 training camp.
Eli Manning trained in the Meadowlands with Offensive Coordinator Kevin Gilbride and new Quarterbacks coach Chris Palmer. For the first time ever, Plaxico Burress and Jeremy Shockey[19] practiced in the off-season with Eli to perfect their timing and chemistry rather than training alone in Miami as they did in previous years.
[edit] Regular season
Manning opened the 2007 season with an outstanding personal performance against the Dallas Cowboys, completing 28 of 41 passing attempts for 312 yards, 4 touchdowns, and an interception[21], but suffered a shoulder sprain[22] and was removed from the game late in the second half. Although he did play against Green Bay in week 2 while throwing for 211 yards with one touchdown,[23] the Giants defense performed poorly again and the team dropped to 0-2 with Green Bay winning, 35-13. In week 3 Manning got a come-from-behind victory as the Giants defense improved, pitching a shutout in the second half and stopping the Washington Redskins on a fourth and goal situation, winning the game 24-17. The Giants defense then shut down the Philadelphia Eagles with an NFL record-tying 12 sacks,[25] holding the Eagles offense to one field goal. The Giants won with a score of 16-3.[26] The following week, Manning overcame a dismal first half to throw for two second-half scoresin a 35-24 win over their in-city rivals, the New York Jets.
Following two straight home victories, Manning and the Giants obtained their fourth consecutive victory with a 31-10 defeat of the Atlanta Falcons in the Georgia Dome on Monday Night Football.[29] Manning performed well, completing 27 of 39 passes for 303 yards along with a pair of touchdowns while giving away two intereceptions.[30] Behind a dominant defensive effort, the Giants improved to 5-2 the next week with a 33-15 win over the 49ers.[31] Manning played well again, throwing for two touchdowns in the effort. In week eight of the season, the Giants played a road game against the Miami Dolphins on October 28, 2007, in London's Wembley Stadium.[32] Manning only threw for 59 yards in the rain and mud, but he scored the Giants' only touchdown on a 10-yard run.[33] This touchdown was the first in an NFL regular season game that was played outside of North America. The Giants defeated the Dolphins, 13–10, bringing the Giants to a 6–2 record at the mid-way point of the 2007 season.
After losing to their division rivals the Dallas Cowboys in week 9, New York Giants co-owner John Mara publicly questioned Manning's ability to lead the New York Giants in 2007 but more importantly in the future:
“ The only thing we evaluate is 'Can we win with this guy?' That's the one thing. When we talk about any player at the end of the season, the No.1 question is 'Will he help us win?' And to take it one step further, 'Can we win a championship with this guy?' ”
After a week of criticism in the New York media and being outplayed by Tony Romo, Manning had a bounce-back victory versus their conference wildcard competitors the Detroit Lions. Manning managed to throw for 283 yards and 1 touchdown but most importantly, no interceptions in a critical road game.
The following week in a 41-17 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, Manning threw four interceptions and had three of them returned for touchdowns. He continued to struggle until the last game of the season, against the 15-0 New England Patriots. With a playoff spot secured, the Giants could have rested their starters for the playoffs, but they instead chose to keep in the regulars and attempt to stop New England's quest for an undefeated regular season.[40] The Giants lost 38-35, but Manning played exceptionally well, completing 22 of 32 passes for 251 yards, with four touchdowns and one interception.
2007 playoffs
On January 6, 2008, Manning went 20-of-27 for 185 yards playing on the road against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The underdog Giants won 24-14, and Manning had two touchdown passes.
“ "Eli had a great game today," receiver Amani Toomer said. "He took what was out there and didn't force anything. He doesn't get real excited; there is more than one way to lead a team ... and he showed that today." ”
On January 13, 2008, Manning led the Giants to an upset victory over the heavily favored Dallas Cowboys, the number one seed in the NFC.[43] For the third straight game, Manning played well, completing 12 of 18 passes for 163 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions.[43] The Giants were the first team to beat an NFC number one seed in the divisional round since the start of the 12-team format in 1990. [44]. This victory secured an NFC Championship berth against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, January 20, 2008. In the championship game, the Giants beat the Packers in overtime, with a score of 23-20.[45] The dramatic victory secured Manning and the Giants a trip to Super Bowl XLII.[46] This was the first Super Bowl appearance for the New York Giants since 2000,[47] and their first Super Bowl victory since Super Bowl XXV.
Super Bowl XLII
Main article: Super Bowl XLII
Eli with the Lombardi Trophy during the Giants Super Bowl victory rally at Giants Stadium.
In front of a record-setting American television audience[48] and on the strength of a late fourth-quarter drive led by Manning, the Giants beat the 12.5 point favored, undefeated New England Patriots 17–14. After a pass to David Tyree early in the fourth quarter, the Giants were forced to similarly concede a score to New England with two and a half minutes remaining in the game.
“ Manning takes the snap, back to throw, under pressure, avoids the rush and he's gonna...fight out of it, still fights out of it and then he throws it deep down field wide open Tyree who...MAKES THE CATCH! AT THE 23 YARD LINE! What a play by Manning! ”
—Bob Papa calling Manning's completion to David Tyree.,
On the following drive, however, after Asante Samuel dropped a possible game winning interception, Manning again connected with David Tyree on a play in which he avoided several near-sacks and Tyree caught the ball off his helmet for a large gain. Shortly after, Plaxico Burress caught a short touchdown pass with just thirty-five seconds remaining, and the upset victory was sealed. Manning became only the second quarterback in NFL history to throw two go-ahead fourth quarter touchdowns in a Super Bowl (Joe Montana being the first). Following the Giants' monumental victory, Eli and the coaching staff spoke briefly with President George W. Bush.
For his efforts, Manning was named the Most Valuable Player of Super Bowl XLII. He and his brother Peyton are the only brother combination to play at quarterback in the Super Bowl and the only set of brothers to win Super Bowl MVP, doing so in successive years.
For winning Super Bowl MVP he was given his choice of any 2008 model Cadillac, and Manning chose an Escalade Hybrid. The Wednesday following the Super Bowl he appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman.
2008 season
See also: 2008 New York Giants season
Eli and the Giants opened the 2008 season with a win over their division rivals, the Washington Redskins, 16–7. “It was a great opening to the season,” said Manning, who completed 19 passes of 35 for 216 yards, and had one rushing touchdown against one interception. “There was a lot of emotion, a lot of excitement. You could feel it in the crowd."In the Giants' second game of the year against the St. Louis Rams, they won again, 41–13, behind a stellar Manning performance. Manning finished the game with 20 completions, 260 yards passing and threw three touchdowns to three different receivers. The victory also marked the team's fourth straight victory over the Rams. The following week, Manning rallied the Giants to more fourth quarter magic, overcoming a late deficit to throw the go-ahead touchdown pass to tight end Kevin Boss and then in overtime, throwing a clutch 31-yard pass to Amani Toomer in the Giants' 26–23 win over Cincinnati. The fourth week of the season saw the Giants score on each of their first six possession and dominate the Seattle Seahawks, 44–6. Manning threw for two touchdowns, completing 19 of 25 passes for 267 yards as the Giants totaled 523 yards on offense, their most since 2002.
Following a poor team performance in a 35–14 loss at Cleveland, Manning and the Giants responded with a 29–17 win over the 49ers and battled to a hard earned 21–14 win at Pittsburgh's Heinz Field.[59][60] Manning completed 19 of 32 passes for 199 yards and one touchdown in the crucial win, which pushed the Giants to a 6–1 record. The following week, the Giants beat the Dallas Cowboys at home 35-14 to get to 7–1 at the midway point of the regular season. Manning threw three touchdowns in the game. New York improved to 8–1 with a 36–31 win at Philadelphia. Manning threw two touchdowns in the victory, but the crucial play occurred in the third quarter. With the Giants trailing by four, Manning appeared to make an illegal forward pass to tight end Kevin Boss. After review, it was determined that the pass was legal. The Giants scored a touchdown two plays later, which helped to re-establish momentum. Week 9 pitted the Giants in a battle with the visiting Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens had come into the game with the league's third-ranked defense; nevertheless, Manning led the Giants to a decisive 30–10 victory, improving to 9–1, which included a 200 yard rushing effort by running backs Brandon Jacobs, Derrick Ward and Ahmad Bradshaw. Eli played perhaps his best game of the season in Arizona, the site of Super Bowl XLII. Against the Cardinals, he completed 26 of 33 passes for 240 yards and three touchdowns in the 37-29 win.
The following week the Giants faced the Redskins at Washington in their second encounter this season. Prior to the game it was clear that the Redskins were going to focus on stopping the Giants run game whose Brandon Jacobs, Derrick Ward and Ahmad Bradshaw had proven to be a dangerous offensive weapon for New York. The Redskins decided to put the game in Manning's hands. Manning threw his first 300 yard game of the season going 21/34 with an INT and a 40 yard touchdown pass to Amani Toomer. The Giants beat the Redskins 23–7.
In November, Manning was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Month. For the month, Manning threw for 1,036 yards and 10 touchdowns, and compiled a 94.9 passer rating while leading the Giants to a perfect 5–0 record.
Manning was named to his first Pro Bowl on December 16, making him the first Giants quarterback to earn the honor since Phil Simms in 1993.
In week 16 against the Carolina Panthers with NFC homefield advantage on the line, Manning had a passing day of 17 of 27 for 181 yards and no interceptions. Manning led the Giants back from deficits of 21–10 and 28–20 to tie the game with just over three minutes left, including a bullet pass to Domenik Hixon for a key 2 point conversion to tie the game at 28. The game was played in adverse freezing conditions.
After becoming the No. 1 seed in the NFC, the Giants had a first playoff round bye week and home field advantage through the rest of the playoffs. In the Divisional Round, they faced the Philadelphia Eagles in Giants stadium with its signature windy conditions. Philadelphia went on to win the game 23–11. Manning just barely made a 50% percentage completion, completing 15 out of 29 passes for 169 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions.
[edit] 2009 Season
On August 5 Eli Manning agreed to a new six-year, $97.5 million contract extension with the New York Giants that will make him the highest paid player in the NFL, but on a yearly basis the third highest paid player with an average salary of roughly $15.3 million, which is behind Julius Peppers ($16.683 million) and Carson Palmer ($16.166 million).
Prior to the start of the season, the Giants and Manning were considered to be one of the top teams in the NFL and a contender for the Super Bowl. There were, on the other hand a lot of doubts about Manning's ability to consistently throw the ball to the young, inexperienced wide receivers. The Giants drafted wide receivers Hakeem Nicks and Ramses Barden in the 2009 NFL Draft and were hoping that Manning would guide them, given his new contract which would make him the true offensive leader for the Giants.
In the season opener on September 13, 2009 the Giants played the Redskins at Giants Stadium. Manning threw for 256 yards, a touchdown and an interception. The Giants won the game 23-17. The following week against the Dallas Cowboys, Manning threw his 100th career touchdown pass on a 22 yard pass to Mario Manningham.
Awards and accolades
College
* 2001: Conerly Trophy - Best College Football Player in Mississippi
* 2001: Davey O'Brien Award (finalist) - Awarded to the Nation's Top Quarterback
* 2001: Honorable Mention All-America - The Football News
* 2002: Second Team All-America - The Associated Press
* 2003: Maxwell Award – Nation's Top Player
* 2003: Conerly Trophy – Best College Football Player in Mississippi
* 2003: SEC Most Valuable Back – Birmingham Monday Morning Quarterback Club
* 2003: Sports Person of the Year in Mississippi – The Clarion-Ledger
* 2003: Mississippi Amateur Athlete of the Year – Jackson Touchdown Club
* 2003: National Scholar-Athlete Class – Division I-A QB
* 2003: Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award – Awarded to the Nation's Top Quarterback
* 2003: SEC Offensive Player of the Year – The Associated Press and the SEC Coaches
* 2004: SBC Cotton Bowl Classic Offensive Player of the Game
* Colonel Earl (Red) Blaik Leadership Award – All-America Football Foundation
* USA Today Player of the Year in Louisiana
* First Team All-America – The All-America Foundation
* Southeastern Conference Player of the Year
* SEC Player of the Year – The Commercial Appeal and the SEC Coaches
* First Team All-SEC – The Associated Press
* SouthEast's Top Offensive Back – Touchdown Club of Atlanta Wally Butts Award
Professional
* 2008: Super Bowl XLII Most Valuable Player
* 2008: November NFC Offensive Player of the Month
* 2009: 1× Pro Bowl Selection
Manning in popular culture
* Eli, his brothers Peyton and Cooper, and their parents Archie and Olivia all appeared in an ESPN This is SportsCenter ad from 2006.
* In a 2006 commercial for NFL Sunday Ticket, he and Peyton came home to find Archie giving tips to Matt Leinart, confessing that he "always wanted a lefty".
* Eli's meteoric rise from rookie quarterback to Super Bowl MVP was chronicled in the 2008 book Eli Manning: The Making of a Quarterback, written by Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News and published by Skyhorse Publishing
* He has also co-starred with Peyton for NFLShop.com and Oreo.
* Eli has begun appearing solo in his own commercials, and is a spokesman for Citizen Watch Co., Toyota of New Jersey and Reebok He reportedly received several more endorsement offers after reaching Super Bowl XLII.
Personal life
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* Manning resides in Hoboken, New Jersey, in the same building as former fellow Giants quarterback Jesse Palmer and Governor of New Jersey Jon Corzine.
* As a child, Manning had great difficulties reading and was almost held back in the first grade. He credits his mother Olivia in helping him improve his reading.
* He is a member of Sigma Nu Fraternity and was named Sigma Nu Athlete of the Year in 2001 and 2003.
* Manning, along with his brother Peyton, volunteered their assistance in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Among the tasks performed, the Mannings assisted in the delivery of 30,000 pounds of water, Gatorade, baby formula, diapers, and pillows to the people of New Orleans.
Manning and Coach Tom Coughlin with President Bush on April 30, 2008.
* In 2007, Eli proposed to Abby McGrew of Nashville, Tennessee.[85] McGrew studies fashion in New York[86] and has been with Eli since their days at Ole Miss. Manning and McGrew married in a private ceremony held in San José del Cabo, Mexico on April 19, 2008.
* Manning watched some of the cricket at the Stanford 2020 in Antigua.
* After touring the University of Mississippi Medical Center's "Blair E. Batson Hospital for Children", Manning undertook a 5-year campaign in 2007 to raise $2.5 million for the construction of "The Eli Manning Children's Clinics" at the children's hospital. Eli said in 2007, "I am humbled by the work they do and am honored to make this five-year commitment to help raise funds to build this state-of-the-art clinic that will serve Mississippi families for years to come." His father, Archie, is also a participant in the fundraising efforts as are other celebrities.
* On April 30, 2008, Eli and the Giants visited President Bush on the South Lawn for the traditional White House Super Bowl champions celebration.
