Eli Manning Revealed Why He Refused To Play For Chargers

To refresh your memory, Eli Manning wasn't drafted by the New York Giants in the 2004 NFL Draft. Instead he was the No. 1 overall pick of the San Diego Chargers, a team for whom he never played for. He then was traded to the Giants after he told the Chargers that he would sit out for the entire 2004 season. During a recent interview on 10 Questions with Kyle Brandt, Eli finally revealed why he refused to play in San Diego...

quote:

---

“It was my decision having talked with my agent, coaches, [general managers] and owners,” Manning said. “Going through the draft process, I was just worried about the Chargers organization at the time. I felt it was the right decision and I had a little pull. I quietly tried to say ‘Hey, please don’t draft me, it can be our secret,’ and they didn’t keep the secret part very well.”

“It wasn’t my Dad. He was trying to take the heat off of me, he knew I was going to get criticized,” Manning said. “After that, the Chargers turned it around, they got Shawne Merriman, then Drew Brees started playing great, then Philip (Rivers) started playing great, they went to AFC Championship games, they’re making playoffs and turned things around.”

---

(The Spun)