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Great Athletes

Eli Manning

by Sara Vidar

Sport: Football

Early Life

Eli Manning was born Elisha Nelson Manning on January 3, 1981, in New Orleans, Louisiana, to Archie and Olivia Manning. The youngest of three boys, Eli, and his brothers Cooper and Peyton, exhibited athletic ability from a young age. Their father, a quarterback, had a successful career as a collegian at the University of Mississippi and as a professional with the New Orleans Saints, the Houston Oilers, and the Minnesota Vikings. Eli’s oldest brother Cooper was diagnosed with a cognitive spinal disease and chose to retire from football rather than risk paralysis. Eli’s older brother Peyton had a successful career playing for the University of Tennessee and the Indianapolis Colts.

Eli Manning holding the Vince Lombardi Trophy after leading the New York Giants to an upset victory of the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII.

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(Mike Blake/Reuters/Landov)

When Eli was a child, his father traveled regularly. Cooper and Peyton dealt with their father’s absence, while Eli was more sensitive, spending a good deal of time with his mother. Many attribute his ability to remain calm under pressure on the football field to the reassuring times he spent with his mother. He excelled in baseball and basketball but was noticed for his football abilities above all else.

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The Road to Excellence

Eli played for the prestigious Isidore Newman High School in New Orleans, as did his brothers. While in high school, Eli started three seasons, throwing more than 7,000 yards and leading his school to state championship with an 11-1 record. His performance caught the attention of scouts across the country, and he was heavily courted. While Eli considered his options, former University of Tennessee offensive coordinator David Cutcliffe told Eli that he had become the head coach for the University of Mississippi. Cutcliffe had been instrumental in developing Peyton’s career, so Eli decided to attend his father’s alma mater. He enrolled at Mississippi in 1999.

Eli sat out his first college season. During that semester he was arrested for public drunkenness and possession of alcohol by a minor. Embarrassed by his mistakes, Eli returned to practice determined to prove himself and was named the Rebels starting quarterback in 2001. Eli surpassed expectations during his college career, compiling 10,119 passing yards, 81 touchdowns, and a passer rating of 137.7. Furthermore, in 2003, he led the Rebels to a 10-3 record and a victory in the Cotton Bowl. That year, he was third in the running for the Heisman Trophy. He set fifty-four team records and received the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, the Maxwell Award, the National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame Scholar Athlete Award, as well as many others.

In 2004, Eli graduated with a degree in marketing and a grade point average of 3.44. Because of his impressive college career, Eli became the number-one NFL draft pick.

The Emerging Champion

The San Diego Chargers held the first pick in the 2004 draft. However, Eli stated that he would not play for the team. San Diego selected Eli and traded him within hours to the New York Giants for Phillip Rivers. Eli signed a six-year contract with the Giants for $74 million plus a $20 million signing bonus.

Eli began the 2004 season on the bench as Kurt Warner’s backup. However, Eli started the last seven games of the season, winning only one. Warner voided his contract after 2004, and Eli became the official starting quarterback in 2005. In his second season, he fluctuated between moments of brilliance and monumental mistakes. He played with confidence and finished the season completing 294 of 557 passes for 3,762 yards, helping the team finish with the season with an 11-5 record. He scored 24 touchdowns, 18 more than in his rookie year, but also threw 17 interceptions. Eli’s third year resulted in similar numbers. In both seasons, he started strong and finished tired. In 2006, the team made the playoffs as a wild card but lost to the Philadelphia Eagles.

Continuing the Story

By 2007, Eli had become comfortable with his role and exuded confidence in his skills and those of his teammates. Despite suffering through injuries, the Giants finished strongly with a 10-6 record. In the 2007 playoffs, the Giants beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Dallas Cowboys, and the Green Bay Packers, securing them a trip to the championship game. The Giants played the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII, New York’s first Super Bowl since 2000.

The New England Patriots entered the 2008 Super Bowl game undefeated and heavily favored to win. However, Eli threw two go-ahead fourth-quarter touchdowns, sealing a 17-14 victory over the Patriots. For his stellar performance, Eli was named the most valuable player (MVP) of Super Bowl XLII.

Many observers considered the Giants’ 2008 Super Bowl victory something of a fluke, and few expected the Giants to be major contenders in the 2008 season. However, the Giants proved the doubters wrong after the new season started, and Eli had another strong passing year. Eli led the team to a 12-4 record, but the Giants were upset by the Eagles in their first playoff game.

Standing at 6 feet 4 inches and weighing an impressive 225 pounds, Eli possessed the build for a powerful quarterback. Furthermore, he had a powerful, quick, and accurate arm and an ability to maintain control of the ball. Coming from a football dynasty, he also possessed the discipline and the desire to become the best in his field. However, his ability to correctly read the opposing defense before the start of a play, to remain calm in stressful situations, and to process scenarios rapidly, made him an incredible quarterback.

After the Hurricane Katrina disaster in September of 2005, Louisiana natives Eli and Peyton coordinated relief efforts to help those in need. They collected and sent relief supplies to Baton Rouge to help families who had lost nearly everything.

Summary

Although Eli Manning comes from a family of successful football stars, his success has been due mostly to his own determination and abilities, not to his name. He earned his place in the Ole Miss Sports Hall of Fame for his efforts, not those of his father or brother, and he led the New York Giants to the Super Bowl championship—a feat the team had not accomplished since 1991. Eli and his brother Peyton not only became the first pair of brothers to quarterback Super Bowl teams, but also they are the first brothers to be named the game’s MVPs. They accomplished the feat in consecutive years.

Additional Sources

1 

Christopher, Matt. On the Field with … Eli and Peyton Manning. Boston: Little, Brown, 2008.

2 

Coughlin, Tom, and Brian Curtis. A Team to Believe In: Our Journey to the Super Bowl Championship. New York: Ballantine Books, 2008.

3 

Hudson, Hugh. Back-to-Back: Super Bowl Champions Peyton and Eli Manning—An Unauthorized Biography. New York: Price Stern Sloan, 2008.

4 

Vacchiano, Ralph, and Ernie Accorsi. Eli Manning: The Making of a Quarterback: The Incredible Rise of the New York Giants. New York: Skyhorse, 2008.

Citation Types

Type
Format
MLA 9th
Vidar, Sara. "Eli Manning." Great Athletes,Salem Press, 2009. Salem Online, online.salempress.com/articleDetails.do?articleName=Athletes_1604.
APA 7th
Vidar, S. (2009). Eli Manning. Great Athletes. Salem Press. online.salempress.com.
CMOS 17th
Vidar, Sara. "Eli Manning." Great Athletes. Hackensack: Salem Press, 2009. Accessed December 14, 2025. online.salempress.com.