NEED TO KNOW
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Eli Manning reveals how his older brother Cooper Manning helped “relax” their parents’ rules because he “always got in trouble”
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Cooper, meanwhile, tells PEOPLE he and his brothers Eli and Peyton Manning have “different” personalities
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The Mannings “all like to give each other a hard time” and are “not afraid to get a hard time,” says eldest brother Cooper
Eli Manning is grateful his older brother was often causing mischief— because it allowed him a bit more freedom.
Speaking exclusively to PEOPLE about their fun new family ad for the New York Times family subscription, Eli, 44, revealed how his older brother Cooper Manning, 51, helped relax their parents’ rules when they were younger because he “always got in trouble.”
“I was always grateful for Coop that he came before me because he always got in trouble, and by the time I came around, my parents were very relaxed on all the rules,” Eli tells PEOPLE.
Their dad, Archie Manning, says Cooper, his oldest son, “was always a funny little boy” who was always making others “laugh.”
Bill Frakes /Sports Illustrated/Getty
From left: Cooper, Archie, Eli and Peyton Manning
Cooper, meanwhile, tells PEOPLE he’s grateful for his younger brother too: “I don’t think I’ve ever gotten into an argument with Eli in my entire life.”
“We just never have cross words for some reason, and there aren’t many people in your whole life, who you’ve known for 44 years that you haven’t gotten some gall, you know?” says Cooper. “Just a little salty moment one way or the other, but we’re on a good run.”
Cooper jokes, “I’m sure we’ll get into a huge fight right after this interview, though.”
Eli and Cooper are also brothers to former Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning. “I think we find the same things funny, but our personalities are different,” Cooper says of his brothers.
For their parents, Archie and Olivia Manning, Cooper thinks they “like that” their sons all have different characters.
“We all like to give each other a hard time, like to give other people a hard time, and not afraid to get a hard time,” says Cooper of his family. “I think we’re all wired a little bit the same, but certainly the edge gets a little sharper as you probably go up the age ladder.”
These days, the Mannings are residing in different cities all over the country, making it harder for them to spend time all together. Cooper lives in New Orleans, where his parents, famed New Orleans Saints quarterback Archie, 76, and Olivia, 72, also reside. Eli lives in Summit, New Jersey, with his wife Abby and their four children, and Peyton, 49, and his family are in Denver, Colorado.
Read the original article on People
