Former Ole Miss quarterback Eli Manning nominated for Pro Football Hall of Fame

Former Ole Miss quarterback Eli Manning is one step closer to receiving his gold jacket in Canton, Ohio.

On Wednesday, it was announced that the former New York Giant and two-time Super Bowl champion quarterback was officially nominated for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

This is the first year that Manning will be on the ballot for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, as guidelines for football's sacred grounds state a player has to wait at least five years following their retirement to be considered for a nomination. Manning retired from the NFL in 2019.

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Manning headlines a group of first-time nominees from the modern era that also includes Marshawn Lynch, Vernon Davis, Luke Kuechly, Terrell Suggs, Earl Thomas and Adam Vinatieri.

The next step in Manning's Pro Football Hall of Fame candidacy process will be learning if he makes the cut of the top 50 players from the 167 who were nominated Wednesday. The selection committee for the Hall of Fame will then cut down next month's top 50 list to 25 semifinalists later this fall. The final 15 finalists and eventual selections will be announced in February during the week of the Super Bowl.

On top of being named the Super Bowl MVP twice and a four-time Pro Bowler, the Ole Miss product won the NFL's most prestigious honors in 2016 when he was named the Walter Payton Man of the Year.

Manning was drafted No. 1 overall by the then-San Diego Chargers in the 2004 NFL Draft out of Ole Miss, before being traded to the New York Giants on draft night.

How many Super Bowls did Eli Manning win?

• Super Bowl rings: 2008 and 2012

Manning hoisted the Lombardi Trophy twice in his career, once in 2008 and the other in 2012. Both of Manning's Super Bowl victories came against the New England Patriots.

He is the only quarterback to beat Tom Brady twice in a Super Bowl, and one of just two quarterbacks to beat Brady in a Super Bowl in general.

Eli Manning stats

Manning finished his 16-year NFL career with 57,023 passing yards and 366 touchdowns.

Here's a year-by-year breakdown of Manning's stats in the NFL with the Giants:

• Career: 4893 of 8119 (60.3%) passing for 57,023 yards with 366 touchdowns and 244 interceptions; 315 carries for 567 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns

• 2004: 95 of 197 (48.2%) passing for 1,043 yards with six touchdowns and nine interceptions; six carries for 35 rushing yards

• 2005: 294 of 557 (52.8%) passing for 3,762 yards with 24 touchdowns and 17 interceptions; 29 carries for 80 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown

• 2006: 301 of 522 (57.7%) passing for 3,244 yards with 24 touchdowns and 18 interceptions; 25 carries for 21 rushing yards

• 2007: 297 of 529 (56.1%) passing for 3,336 yards with 23 touchdowns and 20 interceptions; 29 carries for 69 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown

• 2008: 289 of 479 (60.3%) passing for 3,238 yards with 21 touchdowns and 10 interceptions; 20 carries for 10 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown

• 2009: 317 of 509 (62.3%) passing for 4,021 yards with 27 touchdowns and 14 interceptions; 17 carries for 65 rushing yards

• 2010: 339 of 539 (62.9%) passing for 4,002 yards with 31 touchdowns and 25 interceptions; 32 carries for 70 rushing yards

• 2011: 359 of 589 (61.0%) passing for 4,933 yards with 29 touchdowns and 16 interceptions; 35 carries for 15 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown

• 2012: 321 of 536 (59.9%) passing for 3,948 yards with 26 touchdowns and 15 interceptions; 20 carries for 30 rushing yards

• 2013: 317 of 551 (57.5%) passing for 3,818 yards with 18 touchdowns and 27 interceptions; 18 carries for 36 rushing yards

• 2014: 379 of 601 (63.1%) passing for 4,410 yards with 30 touchdowns and 14 interceptions; 12 carries for 31 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown

• 2015: 387 of 618 (62.6%) passing for 4,431 yards with 35 touchdowns and 14 interceptions; 20 carries for 61 rushing yards

• 2016: 377 of 598 (63.05) passing for 4,027 yards with 26 touchdowns and 16 interceptions; 21 carries for a minus -9 yards

• 2017: 353 of 571 (61.6%) passing for 3,468 yards with 19 touchdowns and 13 interceptions; 12 carries for 26 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown

• 2018: 380 of 576 (66.0%) passing for 4,299 yards with 21 touchdowns and 11 interceptions; 15 carries for 20 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown

• 2019: 91 of 147 (61.9%) passing for 1,042 yards with six touchdowns and five interceptions; four carries for seven rushing yards

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Ole Miss, Giants QB Eli Manning nominated for Pro Football Hall of Fame