In a recent video, former New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning discussed how Derek Jeter’s accomplishments may be seen as the gold standard for success.
Manning remembered a chat he had with Jeter from earlier in his career that inspired him during a difficult period the Giants were going through.
The Yankees dynasty that dominated MLB in the late 1990s is often associated with Derek Jeter. Jeter, a 14-time All-Star, led the Yankees to five World Series victories while serving as their team captain.
On the other hand, Manning experienced a similar period in New York, where he spent his whole NFL career playing for the Giants. He guided the G-Men to two upset victories over the New England Patriots, spearheaded by Tom Brady.
On The Eli Manning Show, which is broadcast on the New York Giants’ YouTube channel, Eli Manning praised his “hero” for being his source of inspiration when he was going through a difficult time.
The Giants had a difficult 2004 season after losing six straight games. Manning had a QB rating of 0 for himself. At that time, Derek Jeter called him. Manning recalled:
It would be like to go 0 for 5 and hitting into five double plays in baseball, said the speaker.
Eli spoke on his 0.0 QBR. “After that week, you contacted me as we were going to play a game and said, “Hey, keep grinding, keep your head up, keep working, New York’s a tough town. And it was very meaningful to me because you served as my inspiration when I settled in New York.”
Hey, here is where you want to get to, you were sort of saying. You want to be as good as Derek Jeter. Additionally, there was a new player who had experience playing in New York and was known for both his on- and off-field behavior. I value your phone call since you were so classy.
Throughout the city, Jeter was already well-known. The New York Yankees experienced a difficult period after dropping two World Series championships in a span of three years.
In addition, the Yankees were just a few months away from losing to their rival Boston Red Sox in a tense ALCS matchup, where the Red Sox overcame a three-game deficit to defeat them and go on to win the World Series.
Derek Jeter was aware of the challenges living in New York presents
“I recall that Peyton gave me your [Eli] number since I knew him before you did. New York is a difficult city to play in because of the enormous expectations, “admitted the former Yankees shortstop.”
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