Back in 2012, the New York Giants and the New England Patriots were set to face off against each other in what promised to be a classic Super Bowl. As many of you all know, the Giants came away with the win in that game, with Eli Manning claiming his second Super Bowl title, which was yet another victory against the likes of Tom Brady.
While speaking to Page Six, former NFL wide receiver Victor Cruz spoke about what it was like playing for the Giants at that time and just how much of a celebrity Eli was. As he explained, one time, the team went out for dinner right before the Super Bowl, and it led to a huge army of fans trying to take a picture with Manning. Cruz says the offensive line then treated it like a real game, as they surrounding Eli to protect him.
“Our entire offensive line made, like, a bubble shield around Eli as he was walking,” Cruz said. “I’m watching this, and I’m, like, ‘Oh, my God. This is incredible.’ This football thing, it let me know that this is really a family. This is really a family-like atmosphere, bigger than anything I imagined — even at the highest level.”
This turned out to be a great team bonding opportunity as they went out just a couple of days later and won the big game. While the Giants never got back to this spot, it's clear that it's an experience everyone on that will remember for the rest of their lives.
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