Eli Manning Biography

The soft-spoken Manning brother stepped out from the shadows of his brother and father in the Super Bowl

Eli Manning: The Manning Legacy

Born on January 3, 1981, Eli Manning was blessed with a football pedigree that most athletes would kill for. The son of NFL QB Archie Manning, the pressure was on the young Eli Manning to succeed in all levels of life, not just the football field. After his brother Peyton Manning became a star with the Tennessee Volunteers and then the Indianapolis Colts, the heat was on Eli Manning to exceed even loftier expectations. As a highly prized recruit out of high school, Eli Manning had his choice of programs before settling on the Ole Miss Rebels.

Eli Manning: School Days

Under the command of Peyton Manning’s mentor David Cutcliffe it would take no time for Eli Manning to develop into one of the best quarterbacks in college football. Under the leadership of Eli Manning the Ole Miss Rebels became an offensive machine capable of beating even the highest ranked opponents in the SEC. Eli Manning capped off his college football career by winning the prestigious Maxwell Award and coming in third in the Heisman Trophy voting. Loaded down with college records and expectations, Eli Manning was the shoe-in No. 1 NFL Draft pick.

Eli Manning: 2004 NFL Draft

The San Diego Chargers held the first overall pick in the 2004 NFL Draft and made no secret that Eli Manning was their man. The only problem was that Eli Manning refused to play for the San Diego Chargers. The New York Giants eventually traded up to get Eli Manning in a deal that gave the San Diego Chargers fellow rookie QB Phillip Rivers and a few draft picks, one of which would eventually become Shawne Merriman in the 2005 NFL Draft. Fans with New York Giants tickets felt that they were finally given the player to lead them to the Super Bowl.

Eli Manning: 2004 NFL Season

The new head coach of the New York Giants, Tom Coughlin, decided to let Eli Manning sit and develop as long as possible. Veteran QB Kurt Warner was given both the starting job and the even more difficult task of being a mentor to the young quarterback. Kurt Warner eventually lost his job due to injuries and poor play, and Eli Manning was thrust into the starting lineup. Eli Manning only managed to get the poor New York Giants teams to a 1-6 record under his starting tenure, but he did gain useful experience and plenty of hard knocks.

Eli Manning: 2005-06 NFL Seasons

Fans with New York Giants tickets were ecstatic to see Eli Manning take the role of a full-time starter. The difficult campaign in the previous season had forged Eli Manning into a tough leader with a ton of game experience. The signing of free agent WR Plaxico Burress would be a big step in the career of Eli Manning, giving him a go-to receiver. It terms of scoring and yards, Eli Manning finished in the Top 5 for quarterbacks and turned a lot of heads. Eli Manning did struggle with his accuracy at times, and this came to haunt him in his first time in the NFL playoffs.

Eli Manning started off the 2006 NFL season hot and had a great array of weapons around him. RB Tiki Barber stole a lot of the limelight from Eli Manning as he announced that he would retire in his prime. Injuries to the New York Giants offense hampered their success and Eli Manning threw a great deal of interceptions. New York Giants tickets featured the New York Giants making the playoffs but losing once again. The heat was on the New York Giants to win, and it was rumored that both head coach Tom Coughlin and Eli Manning were playing for their jobs in the 2007 NFL season.

Eli Manning: 2007 NFL Season

On the hot seat along with his coach, Eli Manning also faced a ton of criticism from former teammate Tiki Barber who ran down Eli Manning’s leadership ability. All of the doubts about Eli Manning were erased when the young QB fought through a tough injury and rallied the New York Giants to a six-game winning streak after falling 0-2. Eli Manning and the New York Giants also made NFL history by only losing one road game for the entire regular season. WR Plaxico Burress was also injured all season and All-World TE Jeremy Shockey was put on IR.

Eli Manning and the New York Giants finished the regular season with a close loss to the undefeated New England Patriots, but analysts and fans with New York Giants tickets saw that the team had come along as powerful force. As a Wild Card team, the New York Giants would be forced to play on the road. What followed was an amazing streak of three-straight playoff road wins at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Dallas Cowboys, and Green Bay Packers. The Giants reached Super Bowl XLII with the undefeated New England Patriots waiting to make their mark on history.

Eli Manning: Super Bowl XLII

Eli Manning had always played in the shadow of his brother Peyton Manning, but Super Bowl XLII gave the younger brother a chance to answer the bell. If Eli Manning could defeat Tom Brady and the New England Patriots, the New York Giants would score the biggest upset in sports history. After a brutal first half, the New York Giants were behind the New England Patriots 7-3. The New York Giants defense was outstanding, but it would be up to Eli Manning to win Super Bowl XLII.

The record-setting pass rush of the New York Giants crushed Tom Brady and allowed Eli Manning and the offense to get back into the game. The 3-4 defense of the New England Patriots was difficult to navigate but as the fourth quarter came on so did Eli Manning. Fans with New York Giants tickets watched Eli Manning work some dazzling football magic, picking apart the aging New England Patriots defense. With time running out the New England Patriots retook the lead.

With only 1:15 left on the clock, Eli Manning faced a third down with five yards to go. As he dropped back to pass, Eli Manning was blanketed by three New England Patriots. Fans with New York Giants tickets could not believe their eyes, as Eli Manning somehow escaped the grasp of all three and tossed a bomb downfield to a double-covered David Tyree. In a miracle catch that saw him catch the ball with his helmet, David Tyree brought down Eli Manning’s throw and got the New York Giants a first down. Eli Manning sealed the New York Giants victory in Super Bowl XLII. For his clutch plays Eli Manning was recognized as the Super Bowl MVP.

Eli Manning: 2008 NFL Season

The New York Giants picked up where they left off and dominated opponents to start the NFL 2008 season. Even with the loss of Jeremy Shockey and Plaxxico Burress for a few games, Eli Manning lit up the NFL. With Eli Manning leading the offense and the crushing pass rush of the defense shutting down offenses, fans with New York Giants tickets are glad to know that their franchise is in the right hands to return to the Super Bowl.

Eli Manning: Getting Personal

Through the 2007-08 NFL season, Eli Manning had a good luck charm in fiancé Abby McGraw. His college sweetheart, Abby McGraw seemed to inspire Eli Manning to win games. If she was in the stands, the New York Giants would win. If she sat in the press box, the New York Giants would lose. Eli Manning made Abby stay in the stands for every game, except when she refused to sit in the freezing cold of Lambeaux Field. Eli Manning married Abby in 2008 and New York Giants fans hope the good luck charm will stick around.