Eli Manning and Derek Jeter are different in obvious ways. One plays football and the other baseball. Manning is settled into married life. Jeter continues to enjoy the bachelorhood life of a New York City superstar, having dated supermodels and A-list actresses.
In more ways, the two are wholly similar. Both have reached the pinnacle of success in their respective professions. Both lead and inspire with quiet confidence in lieu of bluster or blistering braggadocio. Both have been a world champion; the only difference is Jeter’s five rings compared to Manning’s one – which will increase if the Giants defeat the Patriots (again) at Super Bowl XLVI. Both are comfortable in their own skin, adeptly handling the intense media glare of the Big Apple with aplomb. In a society where too many athletes make more news on the police blotter than the field of competition, both Manning and Jeter are clean-cut – proving every day it’s actually cool to be good.
As ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano writes, a big part of Manning’s embodiment comes from a 2004 phone call from Jeter during the days where Manning struggled to where there were beliefs that Ernie Accorsi’s grand gamble of trading up to draft Manning in the ’04 NFL Draft was to be an epic failure.
While meeting reporters last week, Manning made it clear he considers Jeter an idol.
"Derek's a guy, from the time I first came here, that I definitely have paid a lot of attention to," Manning said. "He's a great player, but he's also a guy who really shows you what you have to do to succeed in a place like New York. The way he's handled himself on the field, off the field. The way he's dealt with all of the attention without letting it affect the way he does his job. He's done that better than anybody.
"Playing in this market, you learn quickly that you've got to be immune to the distractions. And watching Derek and seeing how he's kept his private life private and managed to keep the focus on the field and on the job he has to do, that's a big help for someone like me. That's what you've got to do, and he's the ultimate example."
During Super Bowl media day, Tom Brady also joined the Jeter Mutual Admiration Society. Like Jeter and Manning, Brady is physically and mentally tough, as three Super Bowl rings can attest. Manning, though, had a viable explanation on how a Giants team given no chance to compete at the start of the season – one that stood at 7-7 after a terrible home loss to the Redskins – ended up back in the Super Bowl: “We have a tough minded group here. When things get tough, difficult, you're going to get our best performance.”
Spoken like a Captain. Spoken like a leader.
Follow Jon Lane on Twitter: @JonLaneNYC
