WATCH: Ole Miss celebrates Eli Manning in tribute video ahead of jersey retirement
Ole Miss is retiring the jersey of Rebels legend Eli Manning this weekend. The Manning name is football royalty in general but it carries even more weight in Oxford, Mississippi, as Eli Manning and his father, Archie Manning suited up at quarterback for the Rebels.
Check out the tribute below to Eli Manning ahead of his jersey retirement this weekend.
While it is Eli Manning Day this weekend against LSU, the Rebels happen to be hosting Eli’s nephew, Arch Manning on a visit this weekend.
Arch Manning is currently rated as the nation’s No. 1 overall prospect in the class of 2023 by On3 and “Arch Mania” has swept the nation. He’s one of the most hyped recruits in college football already and he’s just a junior.
The uber-talented prospect is worth every bit of the hype, as On3’s Charles Power has noted in one of his scouting reports, “Simply put, Arch Manning has one of the quickest and purest releases I’ve seen from a high school quarterback.”
Ole Miss has left no stone unturned in their celebration of the Manning family name in order to lure Arch to be the next great signal-caller in Oxford.
Check out below how they painted the end zones with Manning on them. Just beautifully designed end zones by the Rebels.
If the Rebels don’t land the nation’s top overall prospect for the class of 2023, it certainly won’t be for a lack of effort. It’s hard to remember a time in college football recruiting history when a recruit’s last name was painted on the end zone. Sure, it’s for Eli Manning Day, but timing it up perfectly with Arch Manning’s visit is likely no coincidence.
Eli Manning’s Ole Miss bio
He played at Ole Miss from 2000-2004, starting his final three seasons. During his time with the Rebels, the Louisiana native threw for 10,119 yards and 81 touchdowns, completing over 60 percent of his passes. He earned the Maxwell Award, was named first-team All-SEC, and won SEC Offensive Player of the Year in 2003 after throwing for 3,600 yards and 29 touchdowns.
He holds the Rebels all-time records for passing yards and passing touchdowns. In addition, he is tied for first in the Rebels’ single season passing touchdown record and the single game record for passing touchdowns.
New York Giants bio
Eli Manning went on to play 16 seasons with the New York Giants. He helped lead the Giants to two Super Bowl rings, both over the New England Patriots, and won Super Bowl MVP in both appearances. He made four Pro Bowls, is a member of the Giants Ring of Honor and has his No. 10 jersey retired by the franchise. In his NFL career, Manning threw for 57,023 yards and 366 touchdowns, to 244 interceptions. He finished his career with a 117-117 record in the games he started.
On3’s Tim Verghese also contributed to this report.