Eli Manning has stared down the Patriots defense not once, but twice, leading the Giants to come-from-behind victories in two Super Bowls. He has excelled on the greatest stage the NFL has to offer and earned two Super Bowl MVP awards. But he’s admittedly a bit nervous for the next stage he climbs up on.
Manning on May 5 will be the host of “Saturday Night Live,’’ something his older brother Peyton did five years ago. Peyton is far more outgoing than Eli, making this a role out of his comfort zone.
“I’m looking forward to it,” Manning said Monday when the Giants gathered for their first offseason workout program, the first time they’ve been together since the celebratory festivities following Super Bowl XLVI. “It’s something that’s been offered a few times and I’ve turned it down. But it seemed like the right time. I felt ready to do it and I’m excited about that opportunity.”
Manning has starred in a few commercials but said he has no stage experience, not even appearing in a single school production.
“Not much Broadway or acting, so this will be a new experience for me,” Manning said. “I’m a little nervous about it, but excited also. It should be a lot of fun. It will take some work, but it should be something I’ll always remember.”
It has been a whirlwind offseason for many of the Giants but Manning stressed that he’s tried to relax as much as possible.
“It’s been a good offseason,” he said. “It’s one that you want, because there’s only one team that’s really happy after the season ends, so it’s been a good two months. But it’s exciting to get back here and get among your teammates and make sure we get back to work.
“I wanted to get away after the game and get my rest and get my recovery and spend some time with my family. I was able to do that. I’ve had to do a few things here and there. But I’ve really had a relaxing time. I wanted to make sure I got my rest in February and March, because I knew when I got back here in April it would be getting back to work and lot of time spent here.”
Manning said he gave his arm plenty of time to recover from the grind of a long season and threw the ball around a bit during Monday’s workout. Manning likened the day to “the first day of school after the summer. You’re excited to see all your teammates and coaches and try to figure out how we’re going to get better and what we’re going to improve on. You see some of the new faces and get them caught up on what we need to do. It’s always exciting to get back here, knowing we’re getting back to work.”
Antrel Rolle said, “I’m very excited to get back here. It’s been a very, very short offseason. But at the same time, I’ve never been so excited to get in and finish what we started. I’ll still have more time to enjoy myself and relax. But right now it’s just about business. It’s about getting that mindset, getting back around my peers. I missed the hell out of these ugly guys in this locker room. I’m ready to get back to work.”
Chris Snee said, “It’s good to see everyone. You go from being with them every day and then you take two months off, which is needed. You’re excited to come in, catch up with the guys and start working again.”