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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Eli Manning Press Conference
1/16/2003 | Football
Jan. 16, 2003
Head Coach David Cutcliffe (via cell phone as he is on the road recruiting this week)
"I want to open by reiterating what I said earlier. I am really impressed with Eli and how he handled a very difficult decision. He did a great job of gathering information and thinking through this thing. I couldn't be more impressed with how he handled it and how he communicated with us. It was first class the way he has done everything. That's a real tribute to his family. We are excited about the season with great anticipation especially with Eli coming back. He'll be a great leader for this team and will continue to be a great player."
Q: What do you consider your prospects to be now that Eli is back?
A: It may be too early to talk about prospects in general, because we haven't been through spring practice or gotten winter conditioning. A lot about football teams are decided in the next few months and how they respond to that. In regards to having a quarterback, anytime you have a veteran quarterback coming back with that type of ability it's certainly a good feeling coming into spring practice.
Q: What parallels do you see with Eli and Peyton going through this process.
A: They both did a great job of gathering information. They did a great job of thinking through the decision and not having a knee jerk reaction to something. They both put a lot of thought into it. After careful consideration, they are both doing what they really wanted to do. I think Eli is comfortable with his decision and really excited about what he has in front of him.
Q: Do you sense a sense of relief in Eli?
A: I think you can kind of tell it. He never looked strained through this. You'd have to ask him that.
Q: When did Eli tell you his decision?
A: Tuesday afternoon, he knew I was in the office for a while. We had talked about that. He just called me on the phone and told me. It put a big grin on my face I can tell you that.
Q: Did you have a chance to meet with Eli down in New Orleans when you were there? And what was that recruiting pitch like, if you made one at all?
A: I don't think it was a recruiting pitch. We did talk in New Orleans and just had a good talk. We talked about everything in general with the program. I don't think it was a recruiting approach, it was just a conversation. As crazy as it sounds, it was a conversation we needed to have because you get so busy you never get a chance to just talk. We just sat down and talked very comfortably in his house.
Q: Do you still feel like the off-season is going as well as you anticipated following the bowl win over Nebraska?
A: I think it had a definite impact. I think our players were excited about coming back. My first meeting with them, I know they were all sore, but they were happy about being sore. They want to be pushed. They know how competitive our schedule is every year. It's a fine line for a winning edge, and you see a hunger in their eyes. The Nebraska win helps all of that. Every year playing in a bowl, not only the game, but the preparation time is big. All of those things are positives that we can carry, not only into the off-season program, but into spring practice.
Q: Who will handle the recruiting coordinator role with Mike MacIntyre's departure?
A: We're all going to have to pitch in. We're short David Saunders. We're short now Mike MacIntyre. We'll have to get together and manage it the best we can. A lot of it may fall on my shoulders with the little things we have to get done. The responsibility will fall on the entire coaching staff.
Q: What's the time frame on finding a replacement for MacIntyre?
A: I really don't have one, because the most important issue is recruiting. I'm going to keep my focus there. I haven't had time to think about a time frame.
"I just wanted to mention as it was earlier reported, Chris Herring and Jay Kirkland neither one have returned to school the second semester and neither are a part of our team."
Quarterback Eli Manning
Q: How hard of a decision was it really? Were you really seriously considering leaving?
A: I was considering leaving. It's an important decision to look into and talk to a lot of the right people. I talked to my dad and my brother. My dad got a lot of information from the scouts. I really looked into it. I took a lot of time and thought, but when it came down to it, it's's all about do you want to go or want to stay? I wanted to stay.
Q: Was there any factor that pushed you over the edge?
A: Not really. I think our team will be good and we can win more games than we did last year. We'll be better. It was really just a matter of me wanting to come back for another season.
Q: Now that you have the decision out of the way, what's next for you for the next few weeks?
A: I'm just going to continue to spend time working out. I started throwing with receivers and defensive guys yesterday. It's all about getting back to spring training and getting ready for that in a little bit. It's about getting in shape, getting stronger and faster. We have to start preparing for next season.
Q: How much of the decision was emotion versus facts?
A: It's hard to say. A lot of it is getting facts from the scouts and what people are saying. You hear a lot of things from people telling you where you might go. It's really a matter of what I felt and wanted to do. It's really all a decision based on me and how I was feeling. I felt like the best decision for me was to come back for another year.
Q: Are there any particular goals that motivate you to come back for another season?
A: I think just to try to win more games and have a better season than we did last year. We had a winning season and got back to a bowl game and got a win over Nebraska. I think that will help motivate us and carry over into next season.
Q: Your dad mentioned you were going on a trip over the weekend with you and your brothers. Was that a turning point for you?
A: Not really, I knew it was something that would happen after the season. Peyton always wants to make a hunting trip. I wanted to try to make it there and spend some time with them. I had to stay here Friday night for recruiting, but I went on Saturday afternoon. I don't see Peyton a lot, and it was a fun time to see him. We didn't talk a lot about the decision. I had already talked to Peyton and dad.
Q: So your decision came down to you by yourself?
A: Exactly. I talked to everybody, my brother and my dad. I heard what people had to say. I talked to the NFL scouts and heard where they thought I would be drafted then sat on it for a week. I just figured out some things and thought about some things and made my final decision.
Q: How big a role did your draft position play in the decision?
A: I guess that comes into factor. They told me I would be a first round pick. Probably later in the round. That's always a nice thing to have. I felt I could come back and have a better season at Ole Miss, win some more games and become a better quarterback.
Q: Is improving that draft position a big goal for you?
A: Not really. I'm just trying to win games and become a better quarterback, but that's all about making Ole Miss a better team and putting us in a better position to win games. If becoming a better quarterback moves you up in the draft then so be it, but to me, it's about making Ole Miss better.
Q: Where in the first round did they say you would be taken?
A: They don't tell you that, they just say they are giving you a first round status. I figure from what I've been hearing probably late first round behind Palmer and Leftwich. A lot of that depends on combines and how that goes though. They can go good or they can go bad so you never really know for certain. You never know how other quarterbacks are going to come in and do in their workouts. It's hard to tell because you never know what's going to happen with the workouts.
Q: Where's the hunting cabin you went to?
A: It's in Mississippi. I guess between Leland and Vicksburg would be the best way to describe it.
Q: How much more do you think your role will change in this last season? Will you become more of a leader?
A: I think that being a senior you can always become a better leader and become more vocal. I even talked to Peyton about this. As a junior you can be vocal and you can say things. You can definitely be a leader and I think I was last year. As far as standing in front of the team and saying things, he didn't even do that much. I did later in the season right before the Mississippi State game, but you try to leave that to the seniors. You try to get the team ready for the game, and tell them what's going on.
Q: What are you hanging your hat on when you say the team will be better?
A: We have a lot of players back. We have talented receivers and running backs back. We have some good recruits who will hopefully come in and help us out. I can become a better quarterback and have a better season than I did last year. I think we can work hard and get better. We had a lot of young players last year who have a year under them. They have to mature and learn how to make plays and work during the summer. They've learned what it takes to be a good team.
Q: Are you taking out an insurance policy?
A: I don't really worry a whole lot about that. My dad will do that and he'll tell me about it. I don't really worry about it.
Q: You've mentioned dad and your brother, what about mom and how much input did she have?
A: I didn't really talk to her too much about it. I knew she would be excited either way. I do think she's a little excited to get another year to come back to Oxford and hang out in the Grove.
