Eli Manning

Few names in football carry the legacy and recognition of the Manning family, and Eli Manning added a remarkable chapter to that tradition through his success at both the collegiate and professional levels. From his upbringing in New Orleans to his record-setting career at the University of Mississippi and two Super Bowl victories with the New York Giants, Manning established himself as one of the most accomplished quarterbacks of his generation.

Born in New Orleans on 3 January 1981, Elisha Nelson Manning is the youngest son of Mississippi natives Archie and Olivia Manning. Eli’s father, Archie, grew up in Drew, and his mother, Olivia, in Philadelphia. The couple met in college at the University of Mississippi, where Archie was a record-setting quarterback.

Eli was exposed to football at an early age. He grew up with his older brothers, Peyton and Cooper, in New Orleans, where his father quarterbacked for the Saints from 1971 to 1982. Eli attended Isidore Newman School, playing football and basketball, and he set football passing records there that would not be broken until his nephew, Arch, surpassed his statistics in 2022.

Following his high school career, Manning enrolled at the University of Mississippi in 1999. The Manning name was already well known, particularly because of his father’s and his brother Peyton’s success on the gridiron. He would redshirt his first year and play sparingly the following year before taking over as the Rebels’ starting quarterback as a redshirt sophomore.

In 2001, Manning’s first full season at quarterback, he led the Rebels to a 7–4 record, which included a seven-overtime victory over Arkansas—the longest game in major college football history at the time. The first-year starter posted a stat line of 2,948 passing yards with 31 passing touchdowns.

Manning would continue to shine for the Rebels in 2002, leading the team to a 7–6 record that included a brief ranking in the AP Poll and a victory over Nebraska in the Independence Bowl. Manning accumulated 3,401 passing yards with 21 passing touchdowns that season.

As a senior, Eli elevated his team to new heights, achieving a ten-win season, the Rebels’ first double-digit victory campaign since 1971. He was crowned with the Maxwell Award (recognizing the nation’s best all-around player), the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award (given to the nation’s best upperclassman quarterback), and the SEC Most Valuable Player Award as a result of his career-best 3,600 passing yards, supplemented by 32 total touchdowns. Manning declared for the 2004 NFL draft shortly after completing the 2003 season. He graduated from the University of Mississippi with a marketing degree.

On 24 April 2004, Eli Manning heard his name called as the first overall pick of the NFL draft, by the San Diego Chargers, but he was traded to the New York Giants on draft day for fellow quarterback Philip Rivers and several future draft picks. Manning spent the next sixteen years quarterbacking the Giants to a record of 117–117, the peaks of which saw Manning and the Giants win two Super Bowls, with Eli winning Most Valuable Player in both championship games. A four-time Pro Bowler and 2016 Walter Payton Man of the Year, Manning retired with a stellar résumé after the 2019 season.

In 2008, Eli married Abby McGrew, whom he met during his time at the University of Mississippi. The couple resides in Summit, New Jersey, with their three daughters and one son.

Today, Manning can be found alongside his brother Peyton on Monday Night Football with Peyton and Eli (also commonly known as Manningcast). The broadcast airs on ESPN2 during the NFL’s Monday-night games. Eli has also hosted The Eli Manning Show since 2021 on the New York Giants’ YouTube channel.

Eli Manning’s jersey number 10 was retired by the Ole Miss Rebels football team in 2021, and his jersey joined his father’s retired number 18 in Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Eli was inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in 2024.