Eli Manning Jokes That He Asked The NCAA For A COVID Year To Return To Ole Miss

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Eli Manning wouldn't mind playing one more season of football, not for the New York Giants, but at his alma mater of Ole Miss.

The two-time Super Bowl champ was inducted into the Cotton Bowl Hall of Fame on Friday morning, and while reflecting on his final season as a Rebel, joked that he reached out to see if he was eligible for a COVID year so he could suit up for Ole Miss just one more time.

“About 12 of us had all redshirted, and you know so (we were) fifth-year seniors,” Manning explained. “Then we go and play our last game together, so getting to share that and share a win with them (was great and I) actually reached out last year. I love college football so much, I asked if I could get back my COVID year, and go back to college and play a sixth year, but I got rejected.”

Manning may be 42 years old, but head coach Lane Kiffin would likely welcome the legend into his quarterback room at Ole Miss.

READ: HOCKEY DAD ELI MANNING CAN’T STOP CHEESIN’ DURING WHOLESOME CEREMONIAL PUCK DROP AT PHF GAME

Speaking of the QB room in Oxford, it's a crowded one at the moment with last year's starter Jaxson Dart competing with Oklahoma State transfer Spencer Sanders and LSU transfer Walker Howard.

As for Manning, the Cotton Bowl Hall of Fame is a nice feather in his cap, but he likely has the Pro Football Hall of Fame sitting atop his wishlist. Whether or not the man who went 117-117 as an NFL starter is Hall of Fame worthy has been an ongoing debate ever since he hung up his cleats in 2019.

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Mark covers all sports at OutKick while keeping a close eye on the PGA Tour, LIV Golf, and all other happenings in the world of golf. He graduated from the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga before earning his master's degree in journalism from the University of Tennessee. He somehow survived living in Knoxville despite ‘Rocky Top’ being his least favorite song ever written. Before joining OutKick, he wrote for various outlets including SB Nation, The Spun, and BroBible. Mark was also a writer for the Chicago Cubs Double-A affiliate in 2016 when the team won the World Series. He's still waiting for his championship ring to arrive. Follow him on Twitter @itismarkharris.