While Eli Manning's career may be on the decline, he has been able to put together one of the best resumes from the quarterback position we've seen in this current generation. As of right now, he might be a backup to the newcomer, Daniel Jones, but Eli is currently ranked amongst the top ten quarterbacks in history in passing touchdowns (362) and passing yards (56,537). The son of famed former NFL quarterback, Archie Manning, played his collegiate football at the University of Mississippi from 2000 to 2003 where he racked up over twenty individual honors including the 2004 SBC Cotton Bowl Classic MVP, 2003 SEC MVP, 2002 Independence Bowl MVP, and more.
After a collegiate Hall of Fame career with the Ole Miss Rebels, Eli Manning was drafted 1st overall in the 2004 NFL Draft by the San Diego Chargers. But after stating publicly he would not suit up for the California-based franchise, he was traded to the New York Giants for 4th overall pick Philip Rivers. Since then, Manning has played his entire sixteen-season NFL career with the Giants leading the team to two Super Bowl championships (XLII, XLVI) both games he was named Super Bowl MVP. Now, the 4x Pro Bowler is looking to regain the juice that allowed him to become one of the NFL's elite quarterbacks, but at 38-years-old is it too late for Eli Manning to add to his legacy?
When we think of inventors, the image that comes to mind is usually that of a frazzled scientist toiling away in a lab, not celebrities pulled from the pages of Us Weekly. However, a number of well-known public figures hold patents for various innovations. Some are related to the work that made them famous, while others are offshoots of hobbies or just a single great idea.
Part of guitar wizard Eddie Van Halen's signature sound was his two-handed tapping technique, but letting all ten fingers fly while simultaneously holding up the guitar's neck could get a bit tricky. Van Halen came up with a novel way to get around this problem, though; he invented a support (top) that could flip out of the back of his axe's body to raise and stabilize the fretboard so he could tap out searing songs like "Eruption." While Van Halen was obviously interested in improving his guitar work, the patent application he filed in 1985 notes that the device would work with any stringed instrument. Want to tap out a scorching mandolin solo? Find someone selling Eddie's device.
It’s probably not surprising that James Cameron—who designed a submersible to take him to the deepest known part of the ocean—will often invent technology to make his films if what he needs doesn’t exist. He holds a number of patents, including US Patent No. 4996938, “apparatus for propelling a user in an underwater environment,” that he and his brother, Michael, created to film The Abyss and patented in 1989. The device is basically an underwater dolly equipped with propellers that makes it easy for a camera operator to maneuver in the water—and allowed Cameron to capture the shots he wanted for the 1989 film, part of which was filmed in an abandoned nuclear reactor.
In 1987 Jamie Lee Curtis designed and patented a disposable diaper that included a waterproof pocket that held baby wipes. She hasn't profited from her idea yet, though, since she refuses to license the patent until diaper companies make biodegradable products.
You know him as a rock legend, but Neil Young also loves trains—so much that he owns a stake in a model train manufacturing company and has an extensive collection. He also holds seven patents related to model trains, including Patent No. US5441223, "Model train controller using electromagnetic field between track and ground."