Jan. 24 (Bloomberg) -- One can toil for hours, days even, inside the locker room at Giants Stadium and leave with no clearer understanding of what makes Eli Manning tick.

Unlike too many of today's look-at-me athletes, Manning's least-favorite subject is himself. It's a safe bet you'll never find a self-flattering memoir by Eli at the neighborhood Barnes & Noble.

Until this week, until the quarterback had guided the New York Giants to the Super Bowl, until he had silenced critics and won converts, his claim to fame was being the kid brother of Peyton, himself a year removed from Super Bowl glory with the Indianapolis Colts.

There's an ESPN promotion in which the Manning family, mom and dad and eldest son Cooper, and then Peyton and Eli in tow, are touring the network's facilities.

Peyton flicks Eli's ear with his finger. Eli retaliates, drawing a glare from father Archie. And then Peyton gives his little brother a good kick in the rear. It's symbolic of what Giants fans have wanted to do for years.

Everyone, it seems, has demanded something more from Eli, whose stoic manner clashes with what fans expect from a team leader. Take, for instance, Eli's New England counterpart, the supermodel-datingTom Brady, who likes to, for whatever reason, partake in motivational and celebratory head-butts with his linemen. And Peyton Manning, a former Most Valuable Player, dishes out an earful now and then, too.

``If you ever see Eli Manning starting to yell at players, then you know he's in trouble because that's not him,'' says former Giants quarterback Phil Simms, a rabble-rouser during his playing days. ``Maybe it's how he grew up.''

Maybe.

Sibling Rivalry

So I picked up the phone and dialed Cooper, who spent 10 minutes sharing stories about his youngest brother.

Understand this: the ESPN promotion didn't reflect the childhood years of the Manning boys. Eli, 27, and Peyton, 31, didn't battle much growing up. Cooper says it was he and Peyton, only two years apart, who clashed.

``Eli didn't get into the heavy fisticuffs,'' Cooper said. ``By the time Eli grew up and could fight, Peyton and I were probably too old to be fighting.''

The car keys never caused much ruckus. Cooper, you see, was the only one with a driver's license. As such, it was his responsibility to chauffeur Peyton and Eli to school when they were growing up in New Orleans.

Cooper pauses and wonders aloud whether to share a particular tale that he knows Eli probably wouldn't approve of. A little prodding and he starts talking about his wood-paneled car, a green station wagon the boys had dubbed ``Myrtle.''

Not a Word

The routine called for Eli, who was in middle school, to be dropped off at one entrance and then for Cooper and Peyton to drive to the other end, where they would park. One time, Cooper went straight to his parking space. He and Peyton got out of the car and began walking toward the school door.

``We forgot Eli was in the back seat because he didn't say a word the whole trip,'' Cooper recalled. ``He didn't even get out of the car. We got a pretty good laugh about it.''

Eli could -- and should -- be the one laughing now, tossing back I-told-you-sos at his many critics. He won't. Not now. Not ever.

``It's not about proving anything to anybody,'' says Eli, who is engaged to his college sweetheart from the University of Mississippi. ``It's just about doing it for yourself, doing it for your teammates.''

Never Rattled

It's funny, but when the Giants are winning Eli's flat-line demeanor is a godsend. Nothing rattles him, they say. Not touchdowns. Not interceptions -- not that he's thrown any of those in the playoffs. None. When Eli was struggling, mind you, that even-keel nature was seen as a character flaw to be overcome.

``He's a comfortable observer,'' is Cooper's description of Eli.

Here's Peyton's take: After the NFC championship game win over Green Bay, Eli got a phone call from Peyton, who told him he's past the point of needing advice from his Super Bowl- winning big brother. From now on it's Peyton who'll do the listening.

``I don't know if I believe that, but it's good to hear him say,'' Eli said. ``And I will take all the advice I can get from him.''

Eli has shaken a bunch of labels this season. Looks like kid brother will stick.

(Scott Soshnick is a Bloomberg News columnist. The opinions expressed are his own.)

To contact the writer of this column: Scott Soshnick in New York at ssoshnick@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: January 24, 2008 00:09 EST