Eli Manning recalls David Tyree's 'Helmet Catch' in helping Giants lift Super Bowl 42 - "I didn’t know if he caught it"

Eli Manning lived in the shadows of his older brother, Peyton, for most of his career. While his quality certainly didn't come close, he led perhaps the most famous Super Bowl win of all time when his New York Giants upset the then-undefeated New England Patriots in Super Bowl 42.

The play that became the symbol of that win was David Tyree's helmet catch when he was wrapped around multiple defenders and made an impressive catch with one hand and his helmet holding the ball. Speaking on "Roommates Show," Eli confessed that he was not sure whether the play was made or not:

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[From 5:05] "They had like four defenders around the ball. If it gets tipped at all, it's intercepted — game over. But, at that moment, we just had to try to make a play. I gave my guy a chance, but I didn’t know if he caught it or if it hit the ground. There was a lot going on. David made an unbelievable effort, pulling it off the helmet, holding on with Rodney Harrison draped all over him.

"We had to call a timeout, saw the replay, and sure enough, the ball never hit the ground. A lot of people say, 'I knew you were going to win after that.' I didn’t — because we still had to score a touchdown. We were down four, so it was touchdown or bust."

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The Giants capped off the most unlikely of all Super Bowl wins with a late touchdown in the fourth quarter, winning the game 17-14.

Eli Manning upset the Patriots in the Super Bowl — twice

The most impressive thing is that it wasn't the only time Manning led the Giants to an improbable win over the Patriots in the Super Bowl. He did the same thing four years later, at Super Bowl 46, and revenge wasn't properly served.

Tom Brady was the quarterback both times, and he could've ended his career with some incredible nine rings if he had beaten the Giants. But he failed on both occasions.

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