Ernie Accorsi, the longtime NFL executive whose roster-building decisions helped set up two Super Bowl championships for the New York Giants, has died at 84.
The Giants and Accorsi’s family announced Sunday that he died Saturday. No cause of death or location was disclosed.
Accorsi served as the Giants’ general manager from 1998 through 2006, overseeing the foundation of the teams that later won Super Bowls following the 2007 and 2011 seasons. He received rings for both titles and became only the second general manager honored in the Giants’ Ring of Honor.
Among his most significant decisions in New York were the hiring of head coach Tom Coughlin and the 2004 draft-day trade that brought quarterback Eli Manning to the franchise. The Chargers selected Manning first overall before New York completed the deal for him. With Manning, receiver Amani Toomer, linebacker Antonio Pierce and defensive end Michael Strahan among the key figures, the Giants reached the playoffs four times from 2005 through 2011.
Giants owner John Mara said Accorsi’s vision and leadership left a permanent mark on the organization. Mara also described him as a close friend and trusted adviser whose influence would remain part of the franchise’s history.
Manning said he had made a point of calling Accorsi during draft week for roughly the past dozen years or longer to thank him for believing in him and completing the trade that brought him to New York. The quarterback credited Accorsi with assembling strong teams and giving the Giants a chance to win championships.
A career across the NFL
A native of Hershey, Pennsylvania, Accorsi earned a communications degree from Wake Forest and served in the U.S. Army. Before beginning his front-office career, he worked as a sportswriter. He later held public-relations jobs at Penn State and with the Baltimore Colts, spent time in the NFL league office and returned to the Colts as assistant general manager.
Accorsi became Baltimore’s general manager in 1982. He went on to hold the same position with the Cleveland Browns from 1985 to 1992 before taking over the Giants’ front office. New York won two NFC East championships during his tenure.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell called Accorsi one of the league’s most respected football minds, praising the wisdom and perspective he brought to the game and noting that he earned admiration throughout a career spent shaping championship-level teams.
Coughlin remembered Accorsi as decisive and strongly opinionated, with a quick mind and a deep appreciation for humor. The former Giants coach said Accorsi was an accomplished storyteller who enjoyed making a room laugh.
Accorsi’s family said the Giants represented far more than an employer to him and thanked the Mara family for its friendship and loyalty over the years.
