NEW ORLEANS — As Eli Manning waits to find out if he'll make the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first chance, he and his family added to their great legacy in his hometown, a city that loves them like football royalty.
A "Louisiana Legacy" gathering on Wednesday, just four days before New Orleans hosts its 11th Super Bowl, was highlighted by news that Children's Hospital New Orleans will be renamed Manning Family Children's after a "transformational gift."
"It's very hard to put into words, to have a hospital named after you," said Archie Manning, the 75-year-old patriarch of a legendary football family. "This is not like making second-team All-SEC or anything. We have such admiration for this hospital and the people and the leadership, and to do this for our family, it's one of the greatest things that's happened in my life. ... I'm overwhelmed."
Archie and Olivia Manning have called New Orleans home for 54 years. They were married a week before Archie was drafted by the Saints in January 1971, and their three sons — Cooper, Peyton and Eli — were all born and raised in New Orleans. Peyton, already in the Pro Football Hall of Fame after winning Super Bowls with the Colts and Broncos, was not able to attend Wednesday's event due to a schedule conflict, but he sent a video message of thanks, saying he'll arrive in New Orleans on Friday.
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Eli Manning won two Super Bowls himself with the Giants, beating the Patriots and Tom Brady in both instances, and this is his first year of eligibility for the Hall of Fame, which will unveil its 2025 class on Thursday night.
"New Orleans is such a special place to me, obviously growing up here and being raised here," Eli said Wednesday. "My parents have been here 54 years, and my children and my family, even though we don't live here, it's still home when we come here. Always excited at every opportunity to get to come, and we want to find ways to give back and say thank you to the people of New Orleans. One way to do that is help with the children's hospital, and make sure that the kids in New Orleans are getting the best care and have a chance to live healthy, happy lives. It's an honor to be a part of this."
The Manning family now has a third generation of quarterbacks, as Cooper's son, Arch, is a star in waiting in his third year at Texas. Cooper said the Manning family home is close enough to the hospital that he can remember youth football practices with his kids being interrupted as players would take a knee in prayer any time the hospital's helicopter flew over to bring a patient in for treatment.
The family shared stories in a "fireside chat" before the naming announcement. Olivia shared a story about the 1980 Saints, who went 1-15 with Archie at quarterback. Olivia said that Cooper, then 7, asked if it was OK if they booed the team with the rest of the crowd, and whether it was OK to put bags over their heads as some fans did.
Archie finished his 13-year NFL career with more interceptions than touchdowns, with just 35 wins in 139 career starts, but his legacy is all over New Orleans, in two sons who combined for four Super Bowl championships and a generosity for the city they love.
The Mannings have already made considerable donations to pediatric health. Peyton has a hospital named after him in Indianapolis, where he played much of his NFL career, and Eli has children's clinics named after him in Mississippi, where he and his father both played college football. Archie joked that "Cooper and I decided we need to get in the children's hospital business."
"In 2007, we dedicated the Peyton Manning Children's Hospital in Indianapolis, and in 2009, we dedicated the Eli Manning Children's Clinics in Jackson, Mississippi, and after both of those events, I told my sons: 'This is your finest hour,'" Archie said. "And without a doubt, I can say this happening, renaming this hospital, is our family's finest hour."
Greg Auman is an NFL Reporter for FOX Sports. He previously spent a decade covering the Buccaneers for the Tampa Bay Times and The Athletic. You can follow him on Twitter at @gregauman.
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