Tread on Me: Eli Manning Is Not Your Average Shy Guy

It's no secret that the youngest member of the First Family of Football doesn't like to say very much--neither did Wayne Gretzky.  With all of the hype and responsibility that came with orchestrating a hugely criticized draft day trade to New York, Eli Manning bore the brunt of one of the most persistent and critical sports media onslaughts in Big Apple history--and he said nothing.

He is admittedly shy by nature, and it makes sense. As the younger brother of Cooper and Peyton Manning, Eli sat on the sidelines while his older brothers claimed football glory at Isadore Newman High School in New Orleans. While they got the attention, Eli got education through observation.  When Peyton lit up scoreboards at Tennessee, Eli learned what to expect.

He is not Peyton, and for all the unintended pressure the Colts Quarterback bestowed on Eli through his success, Eli got something much greater in return-- lesson after lesson of how to play the game right on and off the field.  Eli was mediocre at best over his first few seasons in New York, but for a young quarterback who has been able to steer his team to the playoffs each year he's been the starter, you would think he was the second coming of Ryan Leaf judging by what the media had to say about him.  And he said nothing.

A Pro Bowl appearance, a Super Bowl MVP trophy and one of the fattest contracts ever to hit the NFL later, Eli is off to the best start of his career with a group of receivers who have yet to reach 25--and still he says nothing. So go ahead, tread on Eli all you want, call him what you want and say what you want about him--because he can take it. He can handle the doubt and trash talk that resonates from media outlets coast to coast, just like he handles opposing defenses every Sunday in autumn.