If you ask a Giants fan in North Jersey where Eli Manning is from, they’ll probably point toward East Rutherford. To them, he's the guy who lived in Hoboken and Summit for nearly two decades, the "Easy Eli" who brought two Lombardis back to the Meadowlands. But the truth is, the youngest Manning brother is a product of a very specific, humid, and football-obsessed part of the Deep South.
Eli Manning was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. He didn't just grow up there; he’s part of the city’s DNA. Born Elisha Nelson Manning on January 3, 1981, Eli arrived just as his father, Archie Manning, was wrapping up a legendary (if physically punishing) stint as the quarterback for the New Orleans Saints.
While most of the world knows him as the guy who took down Tom Brady twice, New Orleans knows him as the kid from the Garden District.
The Garden District and the Isidore Newman Legacy
Growing up in New Orleans meant living in a house where football wasn't just a hobby. It was the family business. Eli was the youngest of three, trailing behind Cooper and Peyton. While Archie was often on the road during the early years, Eli spent a massive amount of time with his mother, Olivia. People often credit his "ice water in the veins" demeanor to those quiet years at home.
He wasn't the loud, boisterous type. Honestly, he was just "the little brother" for a long time.
Then came high school.
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All three Manning boys attended Isidore Newman School in New Orleans. It’s a prestigious private school, but in the late 90s, it became the epicenter of the scouting world. Eli wasn't just a legacy act. He started for three seasons, threw for over 7,000 yards, and basically turned the Newman Greenies into a must-watch program. Even back then, the scouts saw the same thing we’d see later in Super Bowl XLII: a guy who just doesn't rattle.
Why He Chose Oxford over Baton Rouge
When you’re a star quarterback in Louisiana, the pressure to play for LSU is suffocating. It’s a religion down there. But Eli had a different path in mind. He decided to follow in Archie’s footsteps—and eventually Peyton’s shadow—by heading to the University of Mississippi, better known as Ole Miss.
Oxford, Mississippi, is where Eli really became Eli.
He didn't start immediately. He actually redshirted his first year in 1999. There was a bit of a bumpy start, including a minor legal scrape involving public drunkenness, but he locked in soon after. By the time he was a senior in 2003, he had basically rewritten the Rebels' record books. He led them to a 10-3 record and a Cotton Bowl victory, finishing third in the Heisman voting.
It’s funny to think about now, but during his college days, people still wondered if he could be as good as Peyton. He answered that by setting 45 school records.
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The New York "Home" Away from Home
After the famous 2004 NFL Draft drama—where he was drafted by the San Diego Chargers and promptly traded to the New York Giants—Eli moved North. For the next 16 seasons, his "home" was the New York Metropolitan area.
He settled in Hoboken, New Jersey, for many years. You’d occasionally see him grabbing a coffee or walking along the Hudson River, looking remarkably like a regular guy for someone who was a multi-millionaire face of a franchise. Later, as his family grew (he married his college sweetheart Abby McGrew in 2008), they moved further into the Jersey suburbs to Summit.
Even though he spent more of his adult life in New Jersey than Louisiana, he never lost the accent or the ties. Just this past year, Eli made headlines for heading back to his childhood home in New Orleans for the 2025 Super Bowl. He joked with reporters about how his mom still makes him breakfast when he stays there.
Where He Lives Now
Today, Eli is retired from the field but busier than ever with The ManningCast and his various business ventures. He still calls New Jersey home. Specifically, he and Abby live in Summit with their four children.
But if you want to understand the man, you have to look at the charitable work he does back South. He’s funneled millions into the Eli Manning Children's Clinics at Batson Children’s Hospital in Mississippi. Just recently, the Manning family helped fund the renaming of the Manning Family Children’s Hospital in New Orleans.
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He’s a Jersey fixture, but he’s a New Orleans son.
Fast Facts About Eli Manning’s Origins
- Birthplace: New Orleans, LA
- High School: Isidore Newman (NOLA)
- College: Ole Miss (Oxford, MS)
- Pro Home: East Rutherford/Summit, NJ
- Family: Son of Archie and Olivia; Brother to Cooper and Peyton
If you're looking to visit the places that shaped Eli, a trip to the Garden District in New Orleans is a good start. You can see the historic Manning family home from the sidewalk—it’s a staple of local tours. From there, a three-hour drive north gets you to The Grove at Ole Miss, where Eli’s speed limit (the No. 10) is still a legendary piece of campus lore.
Whether he’s "the guy from New Orleans" or "the guy from the Giants," his roots remain firmly planted in the soil of the SEC.
To really get a feel for Eli's legacy, check out the archives of the ManningCast or visit the New York Giants Ring of Honor at MetLife Stadium. If you're ever in New Orleans, grab a meal at one of the local spots in the Garden District; you might just catch a glimpse of the most low-key legend in football history visiting his parents.