Growing up with a famous last name in sports can be tough, and no one knows that better than Eli Manning. Carrying the Manning legacy was a whole different challenge. In an interview with Michael Strahan, Eli opened up about the pressure he faced to live up to his older brother, Peyton Manning.

He explained that while his father, Archie, played 30 years prior with no constant media attention, Peyton had a huge amount of pressure on him. Becoming the number one recruit in the country, he was a star at Tennessee and was picked first overall in the 1998 NFL Draft. This meant everyone expected Eli to be able to follow in his older brother’s footsteps and become the next great. But watching Peyton head to Indianapolis as a senior in high school, Eli had a realization.

“I think kind of early on I just knew, ‘hey, I love playing football.’ I think once he was the first pick in the NFL draft, I was like, ‘Well, there’s no way I could be better than that.’ You can’t be better than the first pick in the NFL draft, right? I mean, can I be a better player? Maybe, maybe not. It’s like all I can do I can work really hard, I can be a great teammate, and I can try to be the best I can be. And that’s all. I can’t compete against my brother. That’s not going to help me in any way. I got to do this for the guys around me, for myself, and because I love what this is.

“I just had that mindset where I’m not trying to be better than him. If I’m not, if I’m better than him, great. If I’m not as good as him, doesn’t matter either. I can still be a good player,” said Eli Manning on the Hustle Like You’re Broke Podcast.

Rather than trying to compete with his older brother, Eli chose to build his own collegiate path. He committed to Ole Miss rather than Tennessee and focused on being a dedicated teammate. By choosing not to compare himself to his brother, he was able to enjoy the game.

This mentality helped him when the then-San Diego Chargers selected Eli first overall in 2004. However, the team traded him to the New York Giants after he refused to play with the Chargers. While under constant pressure from the New York media to perform like his brother, he didn’t let it affect him. He focused on the game.

This helped him create his own legacy. He led the Giants to two Super Bowl wins over Tom Brady and the New England Patriots, and won Super Bowl MVP in both Super Bowl XLII and XLVI.

When he won his second Lombardi Trophy in February 2012, Peyton only had one Super Bowl win under his belt with the Indianapolis Colts. He was also out for the entire season due to neck surgery. This meant that Eli had a 2-1 advantage over his older brother for 4 years until Super Bowl 50.

Strahan asked if Eli ever teased Peyton for winning two titles first. However, he explained that he never mentioned it. He explained that Peyton had won 5 MVP awards in the NFL and that they were always a support system. They would never joke about their achievements in football.

They would often play tricks on each other outside of football. Eli Manning loved messing with Peyton’s phone autocorrect settings so that he would type embarrassing things. However, they both had a huge amount of respect for each other as they were in the NFL. They knew how hard it was to succeed as a quarterback.

Strahan also complimented Eli’s calm nature in the aggressive New York environment, calling him a sensei who never got angry with reporters. Eli explained that he kept his emotions in check. After a tough 15-minute press conference, he would head straight to the film room. He treated the questions as if they were a bad play.

For Eli, defining his personal goals and prioritizing his teammates allowed him to step out from any family shadow and build an independent career. And it is safe to say he did more than just succeed at it.