A Legend Among Giants.
In times when we see the football season coming to an end – like, now. We like to look back at the past of football. There is much to be said about it, and many players who have simply stolen our hearts.
Eli Manning is easily among the players who have been loved by many.
For so many people watching Manning play, it meant NFL Super Bowl odds were a little more predictable. If the Giants made it to a game, and Manning was in good health, you had a pretty solid bet on your hands.
Things are not so simple now, and Eli and his brother are both off the field, and it looks like Brady won’t long follow them either. There are new legends coming into play now, like Joe Burrow of the Bengals.
However, we want to take a moment to appreciate Eli Manning’s career, a man made legend among Giants.
His final moments as a Giant were totally in tune with all the moments that had come before. After the 2019 season had ended, and their coach was fired, he stood at his locker contemplating the decision he now faced.
He has a quiet and measured career, he was easily able to stay in the spotlight and assess the situation. However, at this point he needed to decide his future.
He did not know if he should retire or just play elsewhere, which he could never imagine doing. He wanted to remember the good times, the championships, and so on.
The twists and turns meant that the end of his career was a good one, and it showed him to be not only a legend, but in truth, a humble man.
The Word That Defines The Man.
Eli Manning’s career showed many incredible stats, including 8,199 passes, 366 touchdowns in regular season, 57,013 passing yards, 4,985 completions and more. Let’s not forget his two Super Bowl victories and his MVP awards too!
But, there is more to the man than the mask of stats we associate with him. The man himself has said he believes that one word, and one word alone defines the legacy of his football career.
Availability.
He takes pride in it, how he was there week in and out, every week, never missing a game, never mind injury or anything else. It was important to him, and players loved him for that.
No player wanted to be part of any group who got him hit or injured. Even when he got banged up his teammates could try to keep him healthy and prevent it from getting worse. They saw his passion not just for games but for practice too.
This availability, this passion and drive are the cornerstones of a stellar quarterback, and an example to go by.
Let us not forget that passion and drive are contagious, and that made everything better for the whole team. Manning’s passion passed on to his teammates, and they developed that drive too.
He knew that he could not control the outcome of every game, but you can control your desire and passion to do whatever you need to do to be there for your team. He made people remember that this sport is a team sport and that being a team is what makes a winner.
He stated this in interviews, and this is a massive part of his legacy. He was not big-headed or bashful, but he’s humble, and thoughtful about what makes a great team, a great team.
Not Just Great, More Than Great.
For fans of the Giants Eli Manning is more than just a great quarterback, for them, he defined what it is to be a Giant on the field and off it too.
He became a representation of the franchise, with accountability, professionalism, and dignity, and let us not forget that team spirit.
It meant a great deal to him to be a quarterback, and for those in his team and who loved him as a quarterback it meant even more.
What has become strange about his legacy, though, is how even though he has not long been off the field, he seems to be a myth for teammates. Those who won with him are long gone, and the team is now made up of fresh new young blood.
The respect for him is there, but there is a different bond in the team. Manning was present for the good, the bad, and the ugly for the Giants, and that is something that he will always be a part of.