OH, Brother.
Manning Mania raged yesterday when Peyton engaged the New York media in a conference call and Eli engaged the Indianapolis media in one of his own.
Peyton Manning, first-and-10.
“Eli’s had a ton of pressure on him for a long time with the comparisons to my dad there at Ole Miss, where he played; my brother Cooper there at Ole Miss, who’s a social legend there . . . big shoes for Eli to fill. And then with me playing the SEC and playing the same position. But Eli’s always handled it very well. I haven’t got a chance to see him play in person a whole lot – a few times in college, and actually have not seen him play in person in the NFL yet.
I usually record his games if I don’t get to see it live and try to keep up with him and his career.
It certainly is unique, and I’m proud to be his older brother.” Eli Manning, first-and-10.
“I remember the first time I beat him in basketball. He was five years older than me. We had a ping-pong table, a bumper-pool table and those games we used to play. I don’t remember when I won at those things, but I can remember the first time I beat him in basketball. I don’t know if it was really fair. I was in the middle of basketball season, I think, playing for my high school, and he hadn’t shot a basketball in about five years, so I probably had an advantage over him.” Eli Manning, driving.
“It was of one of those tight games, like 9-8, playing to 10, you got to win by two, and I was at the top of the key and he went for a steal, which didn’t work, I got by him and went for the dunk and that’s how it ended. It was one thing to lose to your little brother, but to get dunked on the last play, he wasn’t too happy about it.” Peyton Manning, driving.
“I was eight years old when my dad retired; Eli was three. I grew up going to Saints practices, and grew up going to the locker rooms after games and meeting NFL players after games. Eli didn’t grow up in that environment.
“As far as when it comes to the quarterback personality, very similar: very intense about our preparation, and both of us want to win very badly.” Eli Manning in the green zone.
“I remember going on road trips, and [Peyton and Cooper] would play the numbers game, where you would say, ‘Number 68,’ and they would go back and forth naming players in the NFL who wore that number. It was kind of who could last the longest, and I’m just sitting there and I couldn’t name one guy. When Peyton and Cooper were growing up, my dad was still playing for the Saints and Minnesota, so they were going in the locker room and knew the players. By the time I came around, my dad was done playing football.” Peyton Manning in the green zone.
“Usually, we talk on Thursday nights since college . . . I’d call him and he’d tell me about Georgia’s defense, and I’d tell him about the Dolphins’ defense a little bit, and we’d kinda compare some Xs and Os, and we’ve done that some in the NFL, too. Obviously, I don’t think we’ll have that same content of conversation this week. But we’ll probably talk [tomorrow] or Saturday, maybe Saturday when the plane arrives there in New Jersey. Probably pretty normal brother conversation: ‘How you feeling? What’s going on?’ Kind of the same old same old.” Eli Manning first-and-goal.
“I actually talked to him last night for about 20 minutes or so.
The game doesn’t come up. We just kind of talk about what we did over the weekend and things like that.” Peyton Manning, first-and-goal.
“I think there’s pressure on every starting quarterback in the NFL on Opening Day. I can’t really give you who has more pressure on ’em.” Eli Manning, first-and-Manning Bowl.
“It probably never hit me until I was getting ready for the draft.
Then I started realizing, ‘What if I get drafted by a team that’s in the same division as Peyton? What if we have to play twice a year? What if we’re in the same conference?’ “
