Eli Manning is retiring as a New York Giant after 16 seasons in Blue. The college star from Ole Miss brought the Giants a pair of Super Bowl rings and many thrills. Between brother Peyton and himself, the Manning Bros. threw for a combined 128,963 yards and 905 touchdowns. Eli Manning was twice Super Bowl MVP to Peyton’s one.
Forcing the trade to the Giants
Eli Manning — and his family — were not going to be pushed around from the start. The San Diego Chargers drafted the quarterback from Ole Miss No. 1 overall in 2004. He wanted no part of the West Coast and made the Bolts send him to the Giants. The deal saw Philip Rivers head to San Diego with the Giants’ third-round pick in 2004, and New York’s first- and fifth-round picks in 2005. Those players turned into Nate Kaeding, Shawne Merriman and Roman Oben.