Eli Manning was the first overall selection in the 2004 NFL Draft by the then-San Diego Chargers, and when he was almost immediately traded to the New York Giants, every expectation he already had as Peyton’s little brother multiplied.
But it certainly was a rough start for Eli. When the Giants started off 5-4 with Kurt Warner under center, they made the change to the rookie out of Ole Miss, but he lost his first six starts — and one of them is arguably the worst game ever played by a quarterback.
On Dec. 12, 2004, against the Baltimore Ravens, Eli went 4 for 18 for 27 yards and two interceptions, racking up a quarterback rating of zero. The G-Men lost, 37-14.
That’s when Derek Jeter came calling — literally.
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Shortly after that game, Jeter — at that point already a four-time World Series champion less than 10 years into his MLB career — was well-versed in the pressures of New York. The Yankees captain had also lost two World Series in the previous three years and was just a couple months removed from being a part of the epic collapse against the Red Sox, who came back from down three games to none to win the ALCS, and eventually the World Series.
“In baseball terms, it’d be like going 0 for 5 and hitting into five double plays …” Eli said of his 0.0 QBR on his YouTube show through the Giants. “You called me after that week, we were about to play a game, and you just said, ‘Hey, keep grinding, keep your head up, keep working, New York’s a tough place.’ And it meant a lot to me because when I was coming into New York, you were the role model. You were kind of, ‘Hey, this is where you want to get to. You want to get to Derek Jeter level.’ And a guy who just came in, played in New York, winning championships but also how you acted off the field. You were such class, so I appreciate that phone call.”
The old adage is to have a team meeting before a weak opponent, but Jeter changed up the rules a bit.
“I figured I’d call [when] you have the zero QBR. There was only one way you can go is up,” Jeter replied. “So, if I’m going to be held responsible for anything, it’s going to be the good game.”
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And it worked. Despite the Giants falling to the Pittsburgh Steelers, 33-30, the next week, Eli went 16 for 23 for 182 yards and two touchdowns, putting up a 103.9 QBR in that game.
“I remember, I got your number from Peyton because I knew Peyton before you. When you’re in New York, it’s a tough town to play in because the expectation levels are so high,” said the former Yankees shortstop. “I don’t care where you come from, it’s an adjustment period. And I’ve been where you were. I came up and struggled, everyone struggles here. … Sometimes, you don’t really have someone to talk to because you don’t really have someone to talk to because they’re not going through the same things you’re going through. … I always wanted to be that person for the next athlete, regardless of whether it was baseball or any other sport.”
Manning may be the most talked about athlete in New York over the last 20 years, and his up-and-down career still remains an argumentative topic. But at the end of the day, he did go on to win two Super Bowls in his career, both against Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.
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