Eli Manning is a big fan of fatherhood! The former professional football player has spoken fondly of his and Abby McGrew’s four kids over the years.
The athlete and his college sweetheart welcomed their eldest daughter, Ava, in 2011 and tied the knot three years later in Mexico. The couple’s second daughter Lucy arrived the same year as their nuptials. She became a big sister when Caroline was born in 2015, followed by their baby brother in February 2019.
Nearly a year after his son’s birth, the former New York Giants quarterback retired from the NFL after 16 seasons. “We are proud to have called Eli Manning our quarterback for so many years,” the team’s Chairman and Executive Vice President Steve Tisch said in a statement at the time. “Eli leaves a timeless legacy with two Super Bowl titles on the field and his philanthropic work off the field, which has inspired and impacted so many people. We are sincerely thankful for everything Eli has given our team and community. He will always be a Giant among Giants.”
The University of Mississippi graduate’s older brother, Peyton Manning, retired in 2016 following 14 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts and four with the Denver Broncos.
The Manning: A Father, His Sons and a Football Legacy author and his wife, Ashley Thompson, share a twin son and daughter. Marshal and Mosley arrived in March 2011.
He and Eli are “very close and have always been close,” especially when it comes to raising their broods. “When we talk every week, we always talk about our kids,” the two-time Super Bowl champion told Parents magazine in 2014. “We also talk about the activities the kids are doing or what new walker or toy we got them. We exchange advice and talk about what cartoons, food, snacks or treats that the kids like.”
Keep scrolling for more of Eli’s parenting quotes, from the lessons he’s learned from his father, Archie Manning, to his daughters’ interest in football.