During his career, Eli Manning talked to the media on Mondays only after losses. After wins, he took a step back and let his teammates do the talking.

Nothing has changed.

The consummate sportsman, Manning spoke publicly the morning after the sports world found out that he did not make the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. The 50-person selection committee elected four players – wide receiver Sterling Sharpe, defensive end Jared Allen, cornerback Eric Allen, and tight end Antonio Gates – to the Class of 2025.

"I'm excited for those guys that got in," Manning said Friday on GMFB: OT. "All of them are so deserving. I'm happy for them. I texted a few of them, the guys that I knew, and just congratulated them. So, I had a feeling it wasn't going to be my night, and I understand that. I'm totally at peace. It's not going to change my outlook on my career and how I feel about it."

The news didn't dampen the night. The two-time Super Bowl MVP spent it with old high school friends, college buddies, former NFL teammates, and of course, his family. They had a "wonderful time" just celebrating being in their hometown of New Orleans, which is hosting the Super Bowl for a record-tying 11^th time.

But what did he text the newest members of the Hall of Fame?

For starters, he wanted a thank you from Jared Allen.

"Hey, I think I deserve some credit," Manning said of his message to Allen, who recorded three of his 136 career sacks on him. "I think I was very helpful in you getting into the Hall of Fame. You sacked me many times. I'm happy for him. It's just an honor to have competed against him."

Meanwhile, Manning could have been teammates with Gates. The San Diego Chargers signed the undrafted college basketball player the year before the famous draft-day trade of Manning for Philip Rivers.

"I remember when I was coming out in 2004 and going through the draft process," Manning recalled, "and looking at San Diego and talking to their coaches. They were like, 'We have this tight end. No one has really heard of him. He didn't even play college football, but he's going to be a superstar. We promise.' I'm like, 'Yeah right. You have some guy who didn't play college football. Sure, yeah, we'll see how that [goes].' Antonio Gates was his name. And sure enough, he gets elected into the Hall of Fame, had an unbelievable NFL career."

Manning added: "Everybody is so deserving. I remember watching Sterling Sharpe play with Brett Favre and just some unbelievable plays. All of them are great stories. So deserving. So happy for them and their families and what it means to everyone involved. Their teammates are also involved. When you go in the Hall of Fame, it's not just for you. It's for your coaches, your organization, your teammates. They all get to enjoy that."

Finally, like everybody making a stop on Radio Row, Manning had to talk about the big game happening this Sunday. Similar to the Giants in 2007 and 2011, the Eagles are trying to stop history. This time, the dynasty belongs to the Chiefs and not the Patriots.

"The most important thing is try to bring a championship back to your organization," Manning said. "You're doing it for your teammates. You're doing it for your coaches, your owners, everybody involved. The amount of work and effort and time commitment that goes into getting to a Super Bowl, it's not really about ruining it for someone else. It's about getting the joy and the credit that you deserve and everything that went into getting to that point. So, I think the pressure really is on Kansas City. They have all the pressure to try to be the first team to three-peat. I think the Eagles are just like, hey, let's just go out and play our game. We're the underdog."