EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- When
Eli Manning became the quarterback of the
New York Giants back in 2004, one of the people to whom he looked for an example of how to carry himself was a baseball player --
New York Yankees shortstop
Derek Jeter. With Jeter in the final week of his career, Manning was asked Tuesday for some thoughts on the Yankees captain.
"Derek, he's been a great role model for me," Manning said. "Coming to New York as a young guy and just seeing the way he conducted himself -- a guy who has won championships, been the captain of that team, just the way he's handled the media, the way he handled the wins, the losses, the good times, the bad times and just being a true professional and the way he carried himself."
Manning told
ESPN.com in January of 2012 that he remembers Jeter calling him during his 2004 rookie season, when Manning was in the middle of a losing streak. Jeter told Manning he liked the way he carried himself and that things would get better if he kept doing them the way he was doing them. Manning, of course, has gone on to win two Super Bowl titles with the Giants.
"He's been someone who I looked up to when I first got here," Manning said. "And I still kind of try to follow his path on how he's handled things."
