Eli Manning and Derek Jeter reminisce about Giants, Yankees careers and a fateful phone call in 2004

In the 1990s and 2000s, two athletes — New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter and New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning — were the toast of New York City thanks to their multiple championships and subsequent trips through the Canyon of Heroes. And while the two had a long-standing relationship as their respective careers were intertwined, they had never publicly discussed their careers with each other until now.

In an episode of The Eli Manning Show, which was released on the New York Giants’ YouTube channel, and featured a conversation between Manning and Derek Jeter, they recalled their shared experiences as star athletes in New York. One of the key anecdotes that surfaced during their discussion was the memory of Jeter calling Manning in 2004 after Manning posted a .0 quarterback rating in a 37-14 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

“They called me after that week, we were about to play a game and you just said, ‘Hey, keep grinding, keep your head up, keep working. New York is a tough place,’” Manning said. “It meant a lot to me because when I came to New York, you were the role model. You said, ‘Hey, this is where you want to go. You want to get to Derek Jeter level.’ And a guy who just came in, played in New York and won championships, but also how you acted with such class off the field. So I appreciate this call.

“When you’re in New York, it’s difficult to play in this city because the expectations are so high,” Jeter said. “And I don’t care where you’re from, it’s an adjustment period. And I’ve been where you’ve been I got up and fought, everyone is fighting here. But I just wanted to call you and let you know that I’m here if you ever need anything.”

Among the other notable stories Manning and Jeter shared was when Jeter invited Manning to his charity golf event in Florida, an experience that left the younger of the Manning brothers quite impressed.

“I remember being on a bus going to the golf tournament. I’ll be there with Wayne Gretzky, Michael Jordan and Reggie Jackson,” Manning said. “I’m like, ‘I think I’m on the wrong bus. I should be driving this thing, I shouldn’t be allowed (in) it.’”

“You were definitely on the right bus,” Jeter laughed. “Sometimes you don’t know it then, but you were on the right bus.”

Manning and Jeter also discussed winning championships in New York, the value of playing your entire career for one team, dealing with the New York media, and more.

The period that Jeter and Manning played was an enchanting time in the long and turbulent history of the New York sport. Jeter arrived first in 1995 and during his 20-year career in pinstripes won five World Series titles and captained the Yankees. Manning arrived in 2004 and led the Giants to victories in Super Bowls XLII and XLVI, winning MVP honors in both games and playing his entire career with Big Blue.