“It’s been a grind and a lot of work, but I’ve enjoyed it.”– Giants QB Eli Manning on learning a new offense
“That was the turning point.” – Eagles WR Jeremy Maclin on going to live with his youth football coach at age 15
STAMFORD, Conn. – Oct. 12, 2014 – For tonight’s Week 6 edition of Football Night in America, the most-watched studio show in sports, Bob Costas interviews New York Giants QB Eli Manning and Josh Elliott talks with Philadelphia Eagles WR Jeremy Maclin, who moved in with his youth football coach’s family at the age of 15. Football Night will also preview the Sunday Night Football matchup between the New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles, and include highlights, analysis and reaction to earlier Week 6 games.
Football Night airs each Sunday at 7 p.m. ET on NBC, with Costas hosting the program live from inside the stadium. He will be joined on site by Sunday Night Football analyst Cris Collinsworth and sideline reporter Michele Tafoya, NBC NFL analyst Hines Ward, and Elliott.
Dan Patrick co-hosts Football Night from NBC Sports Group’s Studio 1, and is joined by Super Bowl-winning head coach Tony Dungy; two-time Super Bowl winner Rodney Harrison; Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk on NBCSports.com and NBCSN, and NFL insider Peter King. Carolyn Manno will report from Century Link Field in Seattle, Wash., on the Cowboys-Seahawks game.
INTERVIEWS: Below are excerpts from Costas’ interview with Eli Manning, and Elliott’s interview with Jeremy Maclin. If used, please note the mandatory credit: “In an exclusive interview airing tonight on Football Night in America.”
ELI MANNING WITH BOB COSTAS
On the transition from working with offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride to working with Ben McAdoo: “It was difficult in the spring and even in training camp. I just had to try to forget the old offense... I don’t want to bring up old tendencies or old thoughts; I get in trouble that way. It’s been a grind and a lot of work, but I’ve enjoyed it.”
On Odell Beckham, who attended his high school: “Odell is a good kid. He has worked hard. I’ve known him for a long time. He was a sophomore in high school, and Peyton and I were back in New Orleans doing something and we wanted to go throw some routes. We called our high school coach and said, ‘Hey, can you send over a few receivers to the high school?’”
Bob Costas: “…And he said ‘Hey, I’m going to send you a guy that’s going to be in the league someday.’”
Manning: “Exactly. Out of four or five guys, Odell was at a different level.”
On the trash-talking between the Giants and Eagles this week, and a parody video made by Eagles’ fan Bradley Cooper: “I like to do my talking on the field and let the game be played. Sometimes it builds some good drama. You get a little back and forth. We try to use that to motivate us. I’m sure the Eagles are using some of the things that we’ve said to motivate them. But for this game, I don’t think you need a whole lot of talking. I think both teams know what we feel about each other and how important this game is. We hope we can back it up with our play Sunday night.”
JEREMY MACLIN WITH JOSH ELLIOTT
NOTE: Tonight’s episode of Football Night includes a feature piece on Philadelphia Eagles WR Jeremy Maclin, who at 15 years old went to live with his youth football coach Jeff Parres and his family when Maclin’s single-mother struggled to make ends meet. The piece shows how living with the Parres family positively shaped Maclin’s future.
Maclin on living with the Parres family: “I learned a lot of things growing up. I learned a lot of life lessons, but I think for me to get to where I am now, that was the turning point. It was the family dinner with everybody sitting down together, I wasn’t used to that. It was mom checking homework and dad going to work. I wasn’t used to that.”
On how much his biological mother remained in his life: “A lot. My mom was still very much a part of my life. I think for my mom to let her son go and live with somebody else in order for him to achieve what he wanted to achieve, that’s heroic.”
On the importance of family: “Everything you do in life is so much more enjoyable when you have family members to enjoy it with. Without family, which is my family and the Parres’, I wouldn’t be who I am today.”
--FOOTBALL NIGHT IN AMERICA--