Arguably, one of the most significant NFL Draft Day memories of all time was the New York Giants and the then-San Diego Chargers swapping what would become two franchise quarterbacks.
Quarterback Eli Manning and his father, Archie Manning, made it clear before the draft that the younger Manning had no intentions of playing for the Chargers and preferred the Giants, who had Kerry Collins as their quarterback since 1999.
"It was my decision having talked with my agent, coaches, [general managers] and owners," Manning would later confess. "Going through the draft process, I was just worried about the Chargers organization. I felt it was the right decision and 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."
Yet, the Chargers still drafted Manning anyway. They'd later trade him to New York in exchange for Philip Rivers, whom the Giants drafted with the fourth pick in that year's draft. The Giants also threw in three additional draft picks from the 2004 and 2005 drafts in what turned out to be a rare occasion in which a trade worked out nearly equally as well for the teams involved.
Manning would go on to win multiple Super Bowls while in New York. At the same time, Rivers would become one of the most dependable starting quarterbacks in the league during his 16 professional seasons.
Rivers recently shared his thoughts about being part of one of the biggest trades in NFL draft history.
"I remember having to do an interview with Suzie Kolber from my living room," Rivers said. "And I was talking to my agent, and he was saying, 'Hey, the Chargers and Giants are talking, trying to work this thing out.' And I said, 'I can't do a live interview. What do I do?' He said, 'Just be respectful; you're excited to be a Giant.'"
Rivers did the interview, admitting that it was awkward to do so knowing what he knew. He even recalled signing a Lawrence Taylor jersey, the one autograph he gave as a Giant.
Nearly an hour later, the trade was consummated, Rivers going to the Chargers and Manning to the Giants. As soon as the trade happened, Manning was on his way to Giants stadium, where he'd be formally introduced to the fan base gathered for the team's draft day party and the media, while Rivers was on a jet bound for San Diego, where he'd receive his own introduction.
Manning and Rivers were part of one of the strongest quarterback classes since 2000. The others in that class included Ben Roethlisberger, who went to the Steelers, and Matt Schaub, who had a solid career as a starter and backup.
Those four quarterbacks combined for 20 Pro Bowl berths, four Super Bowl wins, and two Super Bowl MVP awards throughout their careers.
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