New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning reacts after a touchdown during Super Bowl XLII against the New England Patriots at the University of Phoenix Stadium 03 February 2008 in Glendale, Arizona. The Giants won 17-14. AFP PHOTO / GABRIEL BOUYS (Photo credit should read GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP via Getty Images)
Two-time Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning has finally created a Twitter account. New York Giants fans rejoice and are touched by his heartfelt Twitter bio.
For the first time ever, Eli Manning trended on Twitter and he had an account to see it.
The New York Giants quarterback of 16 seasons finally created a Twitter account on May 23. The former two-time Super Bowl MVP shocked fans with his decision to log on.
And Manning’s first tweet was very fitting.
The tweet includes a video of Maris Valainis in his role as Jimmy Chitwood in Hoosiers. The clip shows when Chitwood makes a last second shot to win the 1952 Indiana state high school championship. In the film, one of Chitwood’s infamous quotes goes as follows: “I don’t know if it’ll make any change, but I figured it’s time for me to start playing ball.”
Manning altered his quote a little to fit his circumstances.
“To paraphrase Jimmy Chitwood, ‘I don’t know if it’ll make any change, but I figure it’s time for me to start playing social media,’” Manning tweeted.
After his first tweet, NFL Twitter exploded to welcome Manning with a variety of reactions.
Maybe the best of them all came from Tom Brady, who poked fun at Manning and himself with a retweet about how Eli – who pulled off game-winning drives to defeat the Patriots in both Super Bowl XLII and XLVI – “never showed up until the 4th quarter anyway.”
Manning’s new account also stirred nostalgia in Giants fans. ”Once a Giant, Always a Giant, Only a Giant,” Manning writes in his Twitter account’s bio.
When a Giants fans read Manning’s bio, his retirement feels hit home.
“Eli Manning made a Twitter this morning. Made the mistake of looking at his bio and now I’m crying again,” one account tweeted.
Manning officially retired earlier this year on January 24. He was a 4-time Pro Bowl quarterback. He was acquired by the New York Giants in 2004 whom traded for him right after Manning was drafted by the then San Diego Chargers. His defining moment was pulling off one of the biggest upsets in NFL history when he led a game-winning drive to win his first Super Bowl against the then 18-0 New England Patriots as he handed them their only loss that 2007 season.