Giants Country

Why Former Giants QB Eli Manning Recently Called Himself a Moron

Here's what happened when former Giants quarterback Eli Manning recently decided to see if he was still in playing condition.

Patricia Traina

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When retired New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning was active, he was virtually indestructible.

Manning, who famously never missed a game due to injury--and he came close a few times throughout his decade-plus long career, always prided himself in being in peak physical condition and his availability.

Now that he's retired and is two years removed from the game, Manning recently got the itch to see if he was still in football shape by attempting to run the team's old conditioning test, which consists of running sideline to sideline and back in under 18 seconds 10 times.

Alas for Manning, he not only didn't make it, but he also pulled a hamstring after completing his ninth gasser.  

Manning came close at least three times in his career to missing a game due to an injury. The first was in early 2007 when he suffered a shoulder injury in a loss at Dallas. ESPN reported that there was concern Manning had suffered a torn labrum in his shoulder but that an MRI revealed that wasn't the case.

Manning did, however, suffer a contusion of the AC joint and was listed as day-to-day. And while there were questions about whether he'd be available to play that next weekend, Manning answered by showing up, same as always, in what would become the first of two Super Bowl championship seasons under his tenure.

In 2009, Manning was diagnosed with plantar fascitis and was listed as day-to-day on the team's injury report. Determined not to let his teammates down, Manning sucked it up and didn't miss a start despite the discomfort in his right foot.

The third time Manning suffered an injury that would have sidelined him the following week if the Giants had a game. During the Giants' 2013 regular-season finale against Washington, the quarterback suffered a high ankle sprain midway through the game, leaving him on crutches and in a walking boot.

Had the Giants had a game the following weekend, it was widely believed that Manning wouldn't have been able to play.

The Giants open training camp on July 26, and Manning, who these days works for the team in a front-office capacity, is expected to be a presence during fan events.

And something tells us that he won't let a little thing like a pulled hammy from getting in the way of him fulfilling his responsibilities to the team.

 

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Patricia Traina
PATRICIA TRAINA

Patricia Traina has covered the New York Giants for 30+ seasons, and her work has appeared in multiple media outlets, including The Athletic, Forbes, Bleacher Report, and the Sports Illustrated media group. As a credentialed New York Giants press corps member, Patricia has also covered five Super Bowls (three featuring the Giants), the annual NFL draft, and the NFL Scouting Combine. She is the author of The Big 50: The Men and Moments that Made the New York Giants. In addition to her work with New York Giants On SI, Patricia hosts the Locked On Giants podcast. Patricia is also a member of the Pro Football Writers of America and the Football Writers Association of America.

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