The New York Giants lost a legendary member of their iconic franchise over the weekend with the passing of longtime general manager Ernie Accorsi.
Accorsi was the architect of the the Giants from 1998 to 2006 and was instrumental in the hiring of Tom Coughlin, as well as the acquisition of Eli Manning form the San Diego Chargers in the 2004 draft.
Accorsi built the core group and helped lay the foundation of the Giants teams that would go on to win Super Bowls in 2007 and 2011, and was inducted into the franchise’s Ring of Honor in 2016 alongside Tom Coughlin and Justin Tuck – who he drafted out of Notre Dame in the third round of the 2005 draft.
In a statement from Giants co-owner John Mara, the organization expressed strong admiration for Accorsi and his years with the Giants.
“Ernie helped shape the course of New York Giants history through his vision, leadership and unwavering belief in building a championship organization,” Mara said Sunday. “Beyond his accomplishments as a football executive, he was a trusted advisor and dear friend. His legacy will forever be part of the Giants, and he will be greatly missed.”
Both Eli Manning and Tom Coughlin released a statement on the passing of Accorsi:
Accorsi began his career in the NFL with the Super Bowl champion Baltimore Colts back in 1970, before working for the league and later returning to the team as assistant GM seven years later.
He went on to become the Colts primary GM in 1982 and held that same role with the Browns from 1985-1992 before ending his career with the Giants.
