New York Giants hero Eli Manning set to retire after 16 years

The man is better than the player

After hearing news of his retirement, former coach and mentor Tom Coughlin paid tribute to #10. His sentiments echoed those of many who have been part of the New York Giants organization over the past 16 years.

Off the field, Eli Manning is known for his tremendous philanthropic work with various charities and foundations such as Tackle Kids Cancer Initiative, New York March for Babies, Scholastic’s Classroom Care Program and many more. He and his family also built the “Eli Manning Children’s Clinics” at the Blair E. Batson Hospital for Children in Jackson, Mississippi.

In 2016 during an interview with Dan Schawbel for Forbes magazine, Eli tried to explain what philanthropy and giving back to the community means to him:

"Philanthropy has always been very important to me. I think it started in college by just giving my time to visit mostly kids that were sick and special needs kids as well. I tried to get them to smile, have a wonderful day and help lift their spirits in some way. Over the years, it has evolved. I still try to make visits to hospitals and lift spirits, but also make donations to have a greater impact and raising awareness for mostly in children’s health issues…I have added different charities that I’ve been involved with and you just see the great impact they have on people’s lives. Sometimes you just try to make a child smile or help the family that’s dealing with the sick child. Also, it’s important to give them someone to sit and talk to. It makes me feel like I am helping out and that’s a good feeling…You have to try to help them and see if you can give them a break or get them through those tough times."

In 2016 Eli Manning received the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award for his work in the community and on February 1, at the 33rd annual Super Bowl Breakfast, Manning will receive the prestigious 2020 Athletes in Action/Bart Starr Award.

The award, bearing the name of Hall of Famer Bart Starr, is given to an NFL player who best exemplifies outstanding character and leadership in the home, on the field, and in the community. Manning was selected by his peers across the NFL from 10 finalists and the winner was announced by the league earlier this month.