Giants mourn loss of former GM and Ring of Honor inductee Ernie Accorsi

Ernie Accorsi, who became only the second general manager inducted into the Giants Ring of Honor and was instrumental in bringing Tom Coughlin and Eli Manning to the franchise, passed away peacefully Saturday while surrounded by the love of his family. He was 84.

Born on Oct. 29, 1941 in Hershey, Pa., Accorsi was the Giants’ general manager from 1998-2006 after serving as an assistant under George Young for four seasons. In Accorsi’s nine years as G.M., the Giants won two NFC East titles, earned four postseason berths, and advanced to Super Bowl XXXV. He retired at the conclusion of the 2006 season. The Giants won the Super Bowl the following season (and gave Accorsi a championship ring) and again in 2011.

The Giants were the final stop in Accorsi’s remarkable 37-year career that included successful stints as the general manager of the Baltimore Colts (he saw Johnny Unitas throw his first pass in a Colt uniform in a 1956 preseason game in his hometown of Hershey and his last one while working for the team) and the Cleveland Browns. In his last 16 years as a general manager, Accorsi had nine playoff teams, including six division champions. The Giants, Browns and Colts won a combined 143 regular-season and postseason games under his stewardship.

Members of the Giants organization and NFL community paid their respects to Accorsi and the legacy he built:

Giants President John Mara:

“Ernie helped shape the course of New York Giants history through his vision, leadership and unwavering belief in building a championship organization. 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.”

Giants Executive Vice President Steve Tisch:

“Ernie brought intelligence and thoughtful leadership to every decision, and his contributions to the Giants and the game were significant. We are grateful for all he gave to this organization and are thinking of his family and his many friends and colleagues.”

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell:

“Ernie Accorsi was one of the most respected football minds in NFL history and a dear friend whose wisdom and perspective I valued tremendously. Throughout his remarkable career, he shaped championship-caliber clubs and earned the admiration of everyone who worked with him.

“Ernie’s impact extended beyond the teams he served. As co-chair of the General Managers Advisory Committee, he helped guide our game and strengthen the NFL. His integrity, common sense and commitment to doing what was best for football made him an invaluable voice. Ernie was thoughtful, humble, and he cared deeply about the people in our league. He never lost sight of the relationships that make football special and we will all greatly miss him.”

“Ernie was very decisive, very opinionated. His mind was as sharp as a tack. He loved to laugh. He was a great storyteller, great storyteller. He loved to have an audience and laugh, and then everyone else would laugh with him. He was great with punchlines. He was one of those. He was very loyal. Very, very loyal. My experience, of course, Ernie and John Mara interviewed me when I became the head coach back in 2004. I didn’t realize that within a couple of years, Ernie was getting ready to retire. Nevertheless, we had a great challenge and we went forward from there. I always enjoyed working with Ernie, I always enjoyed talking with Ernie.”

“Ernie will always be remembered, and I say this out of great respect, he’s the guy that made the trade for Eli Manning. That will go down in Giants history as one of the great moves of all time. Was it risky? Sure it was risky. Ernie did it. Shut the door, went in, he did it on his own. It was his move. He had followed Eli from the time Eli was a very young player at Ole Miss, and he was convinced that Eli was the franchise quarterback that the Giants needed. He was not going to be deterred. He saw an opportunity. I think both teams benefitted greatly from the decision, and Ernie pulled the trigger.”

“I was extremely sad to hear the news about Ernie. I call Ernie every draft week for the last 12 years, maybe longer than that, and just thank him for making the trade and believing in me and bringing me to the New York Giants. I know he was the believer in me and kind of the reason I got here. I appreciated him so much for building such great teams and giving us the opportunity to win some championships here. He was always so fun to sit with and just talk, whether it’s the Giants or his time in Baltimore around the Colts. His stories around the NFL and the people he was around that shaped his career were always so entertaining. I know the Giants organization owes a lot of thanks to Ernie Accorsi and what he was able to do for the organization.”

“My football career is very synonymous with Ernie. He had drafted me and then us going in the Ring of Honor together and then just our interactions throughout my career while at the Giants, he was a man who always did things the right way. He always had a good demeanor. I didn’t get to know him much outside of football, but just in football, you could tell the character of him and who he was as a person just by how he interacted with us on the football side of things. It’s always tough when you lose a guy like him because of what he meant to not only the Giants, but the NFL as a whole. My thoughts and prayers go out to him and his family. It’s a sad day for football fans.”

“It was the honor of my dad’s lifetime to represent the Baltimore Colts, Cleveland Browns, and New York Giants, three organizations that meant so much to him throughout his remarkable career. Our family is deeply grateful to each of them and to the many people who became lifelong friends along the way.

“We are especially grateful to the New York Giants organization, John Mara, Ronnie Barnes, and the late Wellington Mara for their friendship, loyalty, and love for my father over so many years. The Giants were far more than a team to him. They were family, and being part of that family was something he treasured. Once a Giant, always a Giant.”