Former Giants GM Ernie Accorsi dies at 82

Former Giants general manager Ernie Accorsi died Saturday at 84.

The Post reported Accorsi succumbed to cancer following a brief battle.

Accorsi was the Giants’ GM from 1998-2006, acquiring or drafting many of the key players who would lead Tom Coughlin-led team to victories over the Patriots in Super Bowl XLII and XLVI. He was best known for the draft day maneuvering that brought Eli Manning to town in 2004, but he also drafted Barry Cofield, David Diehl, Brandon Jacobs, Chris Snee, Justin Tuck, David Tyree and Osi Umenyiora and signed Plaxico Burress, Kareem McKenzie, Shaun O’Hara, Antonio Pierce and Rich Seubert.

Accorsi retired to make way for Jerry Reese right before the 2007 team won a title, but he was given a Super Bowl ring then and in 2011. Accorsi was inducted into the Giants’ Ring of Honor in 2016. He also advised the team during coaching searches after his retirement.

“Ernie helped shape the course of New York Giants history through his vision, leadership and unwavering belief in building a championship organization,” Giants co-owner John Mara said in a statement. “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.”

Accorsi started his career as a sports reporter. He also had stints as the general manager of the Colts and Browns before joining the Giants as assistant GM in 1994 under George Young.

Other remembrances of Accorsi via the Giants:

Coughlin: “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.”

Manning: “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.”

Tuck: “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.”

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.”