“He meant a lot [to New York],” he said, per TMZ. “He meant a lot to me and my career.”Shepard additionally noted that he believes Manning will be headed to Canton as a first-ballot Hall of Famer.Sterling played in three of the four games Eli started in this past year. In the trio of matchups, the fourth-year receiver caught 19 balls for 181 yards, with his most productive game coming in Eli’s final start against the Miami Dolphins. Shepard finished with nine receptions and 111 yards in that Week 15 victory.
Eli held his official retirement press conference at the Giants field house on Friday, with many current and former teammates in attendance.