Eli Manning Memorabilia Buying Guide

By Sean J. O'Rourke

New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning is on the top of the world. The former first overall pick surely heard the criticisms and knocks on his tenacity in the years following his first overall selection in the 2004 NFL Draft, that is until 2007. The son of Hall of Famer Archie Manning and younger brother of All-Pro quarterback Peyton, Eli Manning played his college ball at Mississippi. He would go on to inscribe his name amongst the SEC's all-time greatest quarterbacks, putting himself among the top six in passing yards, touchdown passes and passer rating. After a draft day trade sent Manning from San Diego to New York, Manning took over the quarterback reigns halfway through his rookie season.

Despite his early troubles as a starter, the younger Manning remained a cool character amongst New York's bright lights. During his first full season as starting quarterback, Manning led the Giants to the 2005 NFC East Championship. Despite early playoff exits to Carolina in 2005 and division rival Philadelphia in 2006, Manning came into 2007 with a fresh spirit and new chemistry with teammates Plaxico Burress and Jeremy Shockey. The three spent the off-season training together at the Meadowlands and their dedication showed on the football field immediately. Manning stepped into his own with the new season as he guided Big Blue to a 10-6 record and a Wild Card berth in the playoffs.

As he and the Giants trekked down to Tampa Bay for their first round match up with the Buccaneers, Manning had no idea he was embarking on the most-memorable stretch of his young professional career. Facing a tenacious young Tampa Bay defense, Manning would go 20-27 passing with 185 yards and two touchdowns through the air as the Giants defeated the favored Bucs 21-14. The victory ensured a playoff war with their division rival, the Cowboys, in Dallas the following Sunday. Rising to the occasion, Manning would outperform Pro Bowler Tony Romo and the rest of the No. 1 seeded Dallas Cowboy as he went 12-18 passing with two touchdowns. By beating the heavily-favored Cowboys, Big Blue became the first team to defeat an NFC No. 1 seed in the divisional round since 1990. With Tampa Bay and Dallas behind them, Manning and the Giants carried their eight game road winning streak to historic Lambeau Field for a duel with the Green Bay Packers and their legendary quarterback Brett Favre. Despite playing in front of a hostile crowd in sport's most-hallowed arena, Manning would deliver again for the Giants. As he played his third straight playoff game without an interception, Manning and the Giants defense came to the Frozen Tundra and seized an overtime victory over Favre and the heavily-favored Pack.

After winning the uphill battle for the NFC Championship, the Giants set their sights on Tom Brady and the 18-0 New England Patriots. The Pats were on the cusp of becoming the first ever 19-0 team in NFL history and emerged as 17-point favorites in Super Bowl XLII. In one of the most memorable games in North American sports history, the Pats and Giants squared off in a defensive battle until late in the fourth quarter. With his team down 7-3 entering the fourth quarter, Eli Manning put together a go-ahead drive to start the final quarter that culminated in a 5-yard touchdown pass to David Tyree. The Patriots reclaimed the lead with a five-minute drive ending with Tom Brady connecting with Randy Moss with 2:42 left in the game. With the Lombardi Trophy and immortality awaiting the Patriots, Manning engineered one of the most unforgettable drives in NFL history. As the Giants took over the ball on their own 17 with only 2:39 remaining, Manning completed two 20-yard completions to Amani Toomer before a Brandon Jacobs two-yard gain on fourth down kept the Giants in control. With 1:15 remaining and still on their own 44 yard line, Eli Manning engineered possibly the greatest play in NFL history. On third-and-five, Manning escaped the grasp of four New England defensemen before launching a 32-yard pass to David Tyree, who caught the ball against his helmet over safety Rodney Harrison. As the clock ran down inside of 40 seconds, Manning completed the 12-play drive by throwing a picture-perfect lob pass to receiver Plaxico Burress, giving the Giants a 17-14 lead. As the Giants defense held Brady and the prolific Patriot offense in check for the final 29 seconds, the Giants completed the greatest upset in Super Bowl history.

One of the NFL's brightest stars, no New York sports collection is complete without the one and only Eli Manning. By completing one of the greatest postseason runs in NFL history, Manning joined former greats as Joe Montana, Bart Starr, Troy Aikman and brother Peyton as recipients of the Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Award. A young star on the rise, I've selected my personal top-five pieces of authentic Eli Manning memorabilia. If you're interested in adding the best young quarterback in the game today to your collection, you've definitely come to the right place!

• Signed Jersey: Former first overall pick Eli Manning turned thousands of skeptics into believers with his unforgettable 2007-2008 postseason. Manning led the New York Giants to road victories over Tampa Bay, Dallas and Green Bay before taking down Tom Brady and the undefeated New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII. As Manning led Big Blue to the end zone twice in the final quarter, he joined Hall of Famer Joe Montana as the only quarterback to ever throw two go-ahead fourth quarter touchdowns in the Super Bowl. Don't pass up this opportunity to enshrine the Super Bowl XLII MVP in your sports room today with this authentic New York Giants jersey hand-signed by the one and only Eli Manning. An absolute essential for every serious New York sports fan, this Eli Manning autographed jersey takes it to the house with a Hollywood Collectibles Certificate of Authenticity. A blockbuster addition to your collection, draft a champion to your collection today with this authentic New York Giants jersey autographed by Eli Manning!

• Signed Authentic Helmet: Looking for a dynamite new cornerstone for your football collection? Look no further than this authentic Riddle New York Giants helmet hand-signed by New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning in distinct silver ink. The former first overall selection gave us all a glimpse into his potential with his unmatched game play in the 2007-2008 NFL Playoffs. As Manning guided Big Blue through the most memorable postseason run in NFL history, he established himself as a top-tier starter who keeps his focus in even the most-intense moments. A supreme addition to your collection, this Eli Manning autographed helmet is officially licensed by the National Football League and comes complete with a set of tamper-proof holograms from Mounted Memories! Add the total package to your sports room with a custom helmet display case!

• Signed Mini-Helmet: A standout new asset for your collection! This authentic New York Giants mini-helmet has been hand-signed by Giants All-Pro quarterback Eli Manning in distinct silver ink. The quarterback behind one of the greatest upset in football history, Manning has added serious flair to this mini-helmet by inscribing "SB XLII MVP" below his signature. A creative and inexpensive way to enshrine Big Blue's young gunslinger to your sports room, this Eli Manning special autographed mini-helmet comes complete with a Creative Sports Enterprises Certificate of Authenticity and includes a top-quality photograph from the actual signing. A must-have for every New York Giants fan, make an MVP addition to your collection today with this Eli Manning autographed mini-helmet!

• Signed Super Bowl XLII Photo: Here's your chance to take home one of the greatest moments in sports history! Trailing the heavily favored and then-undefeated New England Patriots 14-10 late in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl XLII, Eli Manning made one of the greatest plays in the history of professional sports. Facing a third-and-five from their own 43-yard line with 1:15, Manning evaded the clutches of four Patriot defenders before hurling the ball to leaping teammate David Tyree who made an incredible grab off of his helmet. A 100 percent essential for every Big Blue fan, this great 16x20 shot of Manning escaping the New England defense is signed by the Super Bowl XLII MVP himself. This Eli Manning autographed photo is officially licensed by the National Football League and comes complete with an individually-numbered, tamper-evident hologram from authenticator Mounted Memories.

• Eli, Peyton & Archie Manning Autographed Football: The greatest quarterback lineage in NFL history, Hall of Famer Archie Manning and his two All-Pro quarterback sons, Eli and Peyton, have all hand-signed this authentic NFL leather football in distinct silver ink. Although Hall of Famer Archie Manning never won a Super Bowl, his two sons have more than picked up the slack in recent years by winning back-to-back Super Bowl Championships in 2006 and 2007. Peyton Manning is one of the greatest quarterbacks to play as of late, recently eclipsing the 300 career touchdown mark. The two-time NFL Most Valuable Player led his Indianapolis Colts to a 29-17 victory over the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XLI while taking home the game's MVP Award. In February 2008, Eli Manning earned that same honor by leading an underdog New York Giants team to victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII. A family combining for ten Pro Bowls and over 500 NFL touchdowns, bring the Mannings home today with this authentic NFL leather football! A dynamite cornerstone for your football collection, this awesome autographed ball comes complete with a Schwartz Sports Credit Card Certificate of Authenticity.

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