Lionel Manuel, Jr. (born April 13, 1962) is a former American college and professional
football player who was a
wide receiver. He was drafted in the 7th round (171st pick overall) of the
1984 NFL Draft by the
New York Giants, and played seven seasons in the NFL.
Early life
Manuel was born in
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
and attended
Bassett High School
Bassett High School is a comprehensive public high school in Bassett, Virginia, USA. The school currently enrolls about 1,200 students in grades 9–12. It is one of two public high schools operated by Henry County Schools.
Opened in 1978, the ...
. He played
college football at
Citrus College before transferring to the
University of the Pacific where he played wide receiver and running back for the
Pacific Tigers.
Professional career
The 5'11, 180-lb wide receiver was drafted in the 7th round of the 1984 NFL draft by the New York Giants, and played in seven
NFL seasons. Manuel spent his entire career with the Giants (1984–1990), including the XXI Giants Super Bowl Team when they beat the Denver Broncos 39-20. His peak performance was during the
1988 season, when he caught 65 passes for 1,029 yards and scored four touchdowns.
Manuel's career ended after several injuries in the 1990 season when he played under Head Coach
Bill Parcells
Duane Charles "Bill" Parcells (born August 22, 1941) is an American former football coach who served as a head coach in the National Football League (NFL) for 19 seasons. He rose to prominence as the head coach of the New York Giants from 1983 ...
. The Giants finished the 1990 season 13–3, and won the
Super Bowl XXV
Super Bowl XXV was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Buffalo Bills and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion New York Giants to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the ...
against the
Buffalo Bills 20–19. Parcells
waived
A waiver is the voluntary relinquishment or surrender of some known right or privilege.
Regulatory agencies of state departments or the federal government may issue waivers to exempt companies from certain regulations. For example, a United St ...
Manuel in December 1990, citing Manuel's poor attitude after losing his starting position. Manuel then signed with the
Buffalo Bills as a free agent but was waived due to injuries and did not play for the team. Manuel played
European football
UEFA competitions (french: competitions de l'UEFA), referred improperly by the mass media as European football, are the set of tournaments organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), generally in professional and amateur asso ...
with the
Barcelona Dragons before retiring in 1993.
Life after the NFL
Manuel went on to coach several college football teams including
The LaVerne Leopards, and later became a professional chef and restaurateur after attending the
Scottsdale Culinary Institute. Manuel worked as a high school varsity coach in
Fontana, California.
Manuel was inducted into the
University of the Pacific Hall of Fame in 2012.
See also
*
History of the New York Giants (1979-1993)
The New York Giants, an American football team which currently plays in the National Football League's National Football Conference, has a history dating back more than 80 seasons. The Giants have won 4 Super Bowls and drafted, Daniel Jones, in ...
References
External links
Griddle replaces gridiron
{{DEFAULTSORT:Manuel, Lionel
1962 births
Living people
People from Rancho Cucamonga, California
Sportspeople from Chandler, Arizona
Sportspeople from San Bernardino County, California
American football wide receivers
Pacific Tigers football players
New York Giants players
Players of American football from California