When the New York Giants made the call to remove Eli Manning late in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s victory over the Miami Dolphins, there was a ground-shaking thunderous applause for the two-time Super Bowl MVP.
Even though the game still had some time left, the moment left Manning’s teammates frozen in time; in awe of what they were witnessing.
“Special,” running back Saquon Barkley said bluntly of the moment. “I kept saying, ‘I’m getting chills over here.’ I kept saying I might give him a thug tear. For those who don’t know what that means, that means one tear. Even though I’ve only been playing with him for only two years, that meant a lot to me. I know he means a lot to everyone here in this organization.
“Like I said, he’s a special player and a special person. For him to go out with a standing ovation like that, that is the way to go out – and that is the way he deserves to go out. It says a lot about the type of person he is.”
Barkley wasn’t the only Giant who had to choke back some tears. Wide receiver Sterling Shepard, who hauled in nine receptions for 111 yards, also couldn’t escape the magic of the moment.
“He’s done so much. David Tyree and I were talking about it on the sideline. He was saying Eli has a piece of all of us and it’s just a special day. We were able to get this win for him and send him out on the right note and it’s a blessing,” Shepard said. “To have that standing ovation, it gave everybody chills. It definitely gave me chills. I’m just so happy for him, proud of him and how he has handled this season and how he’s handled his career.”
Shepard says he took the moment to express his love and appreciation to Manning.
“Just I love you, man. He’s taught me a lot. I came in here as a young pup and he’s raised me right. I owe him a lot and I’m thankful to have him as my QB. He’s one of the smartest guys that I have ever been around on the field. It’s a blessing to be able to play with him,” Shepard added.
Veteran safety Michael Thomas, who has been around some of the all-time greats, says the moment didn’t catch him by surprise, but he felt it nonetheless.
“I wasn’t surprised, but it was definitely pleasant to hear. It was definitely something that we rallied behind and we got fired up about. Guys said let’s call it like it is, we are playing for him. We are playing for Eli today. Let’s send him off right. He’s a legend, let’s send him off the right way,” Thomas said.
“I’ve never been a part of something like that. It was cool to see. It gave me chills, it gave me goosebumps. That man is a legend and we respect him. I’m glad we were able to get a win for him.”
Another big fan of Manning, rookie wide receiver Darius Slayton, took things a step further, repeatedly calling Eli a “great” and a “Hall of Famer.”
“I got goose bumps. It was legendary. You know, he’s a legend. He’s going to go down as a Hall of Famer. I’m happy for him,” Slayton said.
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