I wrote a praise for Peyton, and Cooper Williams, their maternal grandfather, called me the next day to thank me. “You must be very proud of Peyton,” I recall saying. “I am,” Mr. Williams replied. “I’m proud of them all. But wait, until you see Eli, the last one. Eli was thirteen at the time. This was the first Peyton/Eli comparison I heard. Since then, there have been many more. As Eli announced his retirement, TV personalities were still comparing the two. Peyton Manning was, by any standards, the better quarterback of the Manning brothers. Guess what? Peyton Manning is better than 99.999999% of all the professional quarterbacks. Cooper Manning, who is the oldest Manning brother, might have said it best about Eli’s rookie season, when Peyton was winning MVP with the Indianapolis Colts. People say Eli isn’t as interested in the game as Peyton and that he doesn’t spend as much time in a film room or other such things. Guess what? Nobody’s as good as Peyton when it’s about that stuff.” It’s better to evaluate Eli on his merits. He has won two Super Bowl MVPs in wins over Bill Belichick and Tom Brady; four Pro Bowls; and ranks among the top 10 NFL players in passing yards (7th), touchdown passes (8th), passes attempted and completed (6th) and game winning drives (9th). Only four other Super Bowl MVP winners have been awarded. They are named Starr, Bradshaw and Montana. Eli’s most remarkable statistic, considering the offensive lines he played with, is that he started 210 consecutive NFL games, which ranks third among all quarterbacks. He was also tough. Everyone has their opinion on whether Eli should be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. I have heard voters talk about the criteria for the Hall of Fame. Nearly all of them mention the following question: Could you write the history and NFL without mentioning these players prominently? Eli Manning is the exception to this rule. He’s an easy choice, I tell you. He was his best at the biggest stage of pro football. He has had a significant impact on pro football. The same applies to Charlie Conerly (another former Ole Miss quarterback) who was a Giants player. His name has not been called. There are no guarantees. There are no guarantees. Although he was still young and as gangly as possible, he was able to throw perfect spirals pass after pass. Archie Manning, his dad, said to me that he didn’t know the end of it all, but Eli does throw some pretty passes. * A fourth quarter, against-the clock drive against Auburn, when Eli was a senior at Ole Miss. It was that day Eli displayed the courage, ability, and grit that would earn him two Super Bowl MVP awards. Three Ole Miss starting offensive linemen were out. Auburn was a 20-17 loss for the Rebels. It was impossible to believe what you were thinking. Eli led them to 80 yards and completed several crucial third down passes for a victory of 24-20. * The Cotton Bowl was after Eli’s senior season. Ole Miss beat Oklahoma State 31-28. Eli was named MVP. This hack said that Eli had pitched the perfect game of football. * A tour of Eli’s awards after his senior season. Bart Starr awarded him the Johnny Unitas Trophy in Louisville, as the best American quarterback. Starr spoke highly of Eli, saying that he loves the way he manages himself. “I love his ability to handle pressure situations.” * What happened in Oxford and Ole Miss during Eli’s college years. After a Mississippi summer rain, Oxford grew like weeds. Real estate prices exploded. Vaught-Hemingway Stadium was expanded by 10,000 seats. The university saw a rise in season ticket sales of more than 16,000. This brought millions into its coffers. It seems like every child in Oxford wore an Ole Miss number. 10. There’s no telling how many Ole Miss fan boys named their boys Eli. * Eli was polite and calm in all situations, even during post-game interviews. This interview took place after a 17-14 loss to LSU. He answered all questions, made no excuses, and praised LSU for its swarming defense. He also took on blame that he did not deserve. He said that some of his passes didn’t go the way he wanted them to. That will be Eli Manning’s lasting memory as a football player. It is his ability to handle every situation with class and how he gave back to his communities in Louisiana, New York, and Mississippi. All this, plus the beautiful passes.