Adjusting to life in the NFL is no small feat. Beyond the grueling workouts and demanding schedule, rookies must make major changes to thrive both personally and professionally. Fortunately for Jaxson Dart, he has a legendary mentor in his corner: two-time Super Bowl champion Eli Manning.
Dart was selected 25th overall in the 2025 NFL Draft by the New York Giants-a team that hasn’t reached the Super Bowl in 13 years and has made only two playoff appearances during that stretch.
Manning was the last quarterback to bring the Lombardi Trophy to New York, with a 21-17 victory over Tom Brady’s Patriots in the 2011 season. Now, the two-time Super Bowl MVP is mentoring Dart, teaching him lessons that go far beyond X’s and O’s.
Eli Manning’s wisdom
In a recent conversation with Steve Serby of The New York Post, Dart opened up about his talks with Manning, revealing that the former Giants icon’s advice extends past football.
“One thing he told me early on was to embrace the city, embrace the culture, embrace New Jersey,”Dart recalled.
Manning’s guidance emphasized the importance of community engagement and humility.
“Like, it’s cool when you’re able to go out in the street-like I just saw a video of J. Cole riding his bike down the streets,” Dart said. “That shows you embrace the people that you’re around, you embrace the whole community.”
Dart wants fans to see the most authentic version of himself:
“You don’t ever see yourself as higher than anybody else or above anybody. You look at everybody as we’re all the same, especially in God’s eyes. I want to do my best to advocate for the community, and at the same time, I just want to win.”
Dart is the future of the Giants
In the midst of a rebuild, the Giants are initially counting on veteran Russell Wilson to start the 2025 season. But most analysts expect head coach Brian Daboll to eventually hand the reins to Dart.
As Steve DelVecchio of Yardbreaker pointed out, there’s a reason New York traded up to draft the Ole Miss standout. With his raw talent and Eli Manning’s mentorship, Dart has all the tools to live up to sky-high expectations.
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