Former NFL executive and longtime New York Giants general manager Ernie Accorsi has passed away at 84. The Giants and his family announced Sunday that Accorsi passed away Saturday surrounded by his family.

Accorsi spent 37 years around the NFL and served as general manager for the Baltimore Colts, Cleveland Browns and Giants. His biggest chapter came in New York, where he served as GM from 1998 to 2006 after working under legendary executive George Young.

“Ernie will always be remembered,” Tom Coughlin said, pointing to the Manning trade as one of the defining moves in Giants history.

During his time with the Giants, Accorsi helped put together the team that would eventually become a two-time Super Bowl champion. He hired Tom Coughlin in 2004 and was also behind the draft-day trade that brought Eli Manning to New York.

“He was always so fun to sit with and just talk,” Manning said, according to ESPN, recalling the stories Accorsi shared about his years around the NFL.

Manning also remembered Accorsi warmly. He revealed that he called the former GM every draft week for more than a decade to thank him for believing in him and bringing him to New York.

Accorsi retired after the 2006 season, but the Giants went on to win Super Bowl XLII the following year and Super Bowl XLVI in 2012. He received championship rings from both teams and was inducted into the Giants Ring of Honor in 2016.

For the Giants, his connection to the franchise lasted far beyond his time in the front office.

That connection with Manning remained special long after Accorsi left the Giants. Years later, the former quarterback still remembered the belief Accorsi showed in him.

What made Ernie Accorsi such an important figure in Giants history?

Accorsi joined the Giants as assistant GM in 1994 before taking over the top front-office role in 1998. He stayed through 2006 and played a major part in building the team that later won two Super Bowls.

One of his biggest moves came in 2004, when the Giants traded for Eli Manning after selecting Philip Rivers with the fourth pick. Manning would eventually lead New York to Super Bowl wins in the 2007 and 2011 seasons.

“I know he was the believer in me and kind of the reason I got here,” Manning said, according to USA Today. “I appreciated him so much for building such great teams.”

Tom Coughlin, whom Accorsi hired in 2004, also paid tribute to his former colleague.

“Ernie was very decisive, very opinionated. His mind was as sharp as a tack,” Coughlin said. “He loved to laugh. He was a great storyteller.”

Accorsi was later inducted into the Giants Ring of Honor in 2016, becoming only the second general manager to receive the honor.

Written by

Debanjali Rakshit