Every football fan in America probably believes that Eli Manning is already established as a household name. New Yorkers are not an exception to these numbers. With more than 3,330 pass yards as his career stats so far, Eli Manning has made 23 touchdown passes ever since he debuted in the NFL in 2004 as the first draft pick during the first round.

Aside from being the quarterback for the New York Giants, who really is Eli Manning? For those football fanatics out there who are curious about the man behind jersey number 10, read on and learn some tidbits and facts about one of the most popular quarterbacks of the decade.

Eli was born Elisha Nelson Williams Manning on January 3, 1981 in New Orleans, Louisiana. His parents are Archie and Olivia, and he has two older brothers, Peyton and Cooper. It was said that football truly ran in the family, like it was in their blood. Their proud dad, Archie, already established his football career in his college at the University of Mississippi in the 1960’s. After being the quarterback for his college team, Archie was drafted into the NFL under the New Orleans Saints in the year 1971.

Even as children, Eli and his brothers already had exposure to football, although their dad gave them no pressure to pursue it. Peyton and Cooper, being more mature, went on to be popular football stars in their high school of Isidore Newman in New Orleans, Louisiana. Later on, the young Eli also showed promise as an athlete of the same caliber as his brothers.

When Eli went on to college at Ole Miss, which was the same alma mater as his father and older brother Cooper, he continued to pursue his love for the game. In 1998 Eli expressed his desire to be part of the Ole Miss Rebels by attending a football camp. From there on, the rest was history. By the year 2004, Eli was the number one draft pick in the first round, and he was welcomed by his first pro-team, the San Diego Chargers. During this draft, Eli was traded to the New York Giants in place of Philip Rivers from South Carolina State University.

New Yorkers and Giants fans from all over would never forget that February day at Super Bowl XLII when Eli and his team beat the New England Patriots 17 to 14. The New York Giants were welcomed by lavish celebrations, and even a visit to President Bush at the White House. In more recent news, Eli finally married his fiancée and long-term college girlfriend Abby McGrew in April of 2008. Their Mexican beach wedding was well publicized, with photos shown on many celebrity gossip shows.