Giants Country

Eli's Famed SNL Face Immortalized | See It

The retired Giants quarterback was known of a man of many faces--oh and he played some really good football over his career as well, including on this date in Giants history back in 2012.

Patricia Traina

Eli's Famed SNL Face Immortalized | See It
Eli's Famed SNL Face Immortalized | See It /

Among the many things that retired Giants quarterback Eli Manning is best known for are the two Super Bowl championships he engineered in 2007 and 2011, improbable victories that will be forever ingrained in the hearts of the Giants fans everywhere.

But also sprinkled into Manning's legacy has been the many faces--the "Eli Faces" he's been caught on camera making after different events. 

Recently, the quarterback received a very special gift from Shaun O'Hara, whom Manning called his "old center" (a crack at O'Hara's age perhaps?) that immortalizes yet another of Manning's many faces.

The mask bears an image from Manning's 2012 appearance as a guest host on Saturday Night Live, from a hilariously written and acted courtroom scene in which Manning plays a man on trial for committing murder but who is proven innocent thanks to a series of embarrassing text messages.

Oh, and for those sentimental Giants fans, on this date in team history, January 22, 2012, Manning was hit 12 times and sacked six by the San Francisco 49ers defense in the 2011 NFC Championship game played in some miserable conditions. 

But Manning ended up playing one of the best games of his 16-year career, showing toughness, resiliency, and the heart of a champion when he completed 32 out of 58 pass attempts for 316 yards and two touchdowns in the Giants' 20-17 overtime victory won on kicker Lawrence Tynes' 31-yard field goal.

Tynes' kick sent the Giants to Super Bowl XLVI, where they'd once again dismantle Tom Brady and the New England Patriots 21-17.

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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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