Money winners of 2008: Eli Manning steps out of his brother's shadow

Since there's a safe bet you watched the game yourself, I'll spare you a play-by-play rehash. Suffice it to say, Eli and the Giants won the Super Bowl, thanks in part to a jaw-dropping 32-yard catch by wide receiver David Tyree. They upset New England 17 to 14, and ruined the Patriots' hopes of a perfect season. Just one year after Peyton won the same honor, Eli was named Super Bowl MVP.

With his Super Bowl win, Manning scooped up a bonus worth $500,000. The one-time underdog actually scored a bonus with each playoff victory, which ratcheted up his salary for the 2007-2008 season to $15.5 million. Of course, the massive upset victory also increased Eli's marketability. Before winning the big game, his annual endorsement earnings were a mere $5 million. (Tragic, I know -- but for the sake of comparison, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady raked in $9 million from endorsements last year, while Peyton Manning collected a cool $13 million.)

Prior to the big win, Eli was already stumping for Reebok, Double Stuf Oreos, Citizen Watch, and Toyota of New Jersey. Mere seconds after his stunning upset victory, the younger Manning loaned his beaming face to impromptu spots plugging Disney World (on the East Coast) and Disneyland (on the West Coast.) Is there any more obvious sign that a sports star has arrived?

Well, maybe a Gatorade spot. Eli appeared in his first solo commercial for the sports drink shortly after the Super Bowl, once again following in Peyton's footsteps. While there are no firm numbers yet on Eli's endorsement earnings for 2008, it's a safe bet that the QB will once again be collecting some playoff bonuses. The Giants have locked down the number-one spot in the NFC East, thanks to the hardest-working offensive line in the business and playmakers like Brandon Jacobs, Kevin Boss, and Amani Toomer (who's in the receiving hot seat, with Tyree on injured reserve and Plaxico Burress, um, indisposed for the season).

Even more gratifying, Eli's "Unstoppable"-themed commercials for Citizen are no longer unintentionally hilarious. But don't look for Eli Manning to rack up a roster of endorsement deals rivaling Peyton's. The younger Manning is also the more reserved sibling, though he does share his brother's deadpan sense of humor. During an appearance this fall on ESPN's NFL Sunday Countdown, the Giants star cracked that Olympian Usain Bolt "runs like my brother runs to endorsement opportunities." Touché, Eli.

By contrast, consider the sad case of Tom Brady. Not only did New England's almost-undefeated quarterback decide to snap his winning streak at the worst time ever, his chance for redemption in 2008 was cut short. In the first regular-season game of the year, #12 went down with a season-ending injury halfway through the first quarter. Don't cry for Tom, though -- now, he's just got more time to hang out with his supermodel girlfriend, Gisele Bundchen.

Elizabeth Harrow is an analyst and financial writer in the research department at Schaeffer's Investment Research. She is featured in the video series Schaeffer's Daily Q&A on SchaeffersResearch.com.

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