Giants greats ‘in shock’ over Nick Mangold’s death

There was a profound connection between these crosstown rivals.

Former Giants center Shaun O’Hara and quarterback Eli Manning mourned the sudden passing of Jets center Nick Mangold, who died at age 41 Saturday due to complications from kidney disease. 

Mangold was diagnosed with a genetic defect in 2006 that resulted in chronic kidney disease, and the two-time Pro Bowler’s death comes just two weeks after he announced he was in need of a transplant. 

Speaking with Giants.com, the Big Blue stars reflected on their relationships with Mangold, each revealing they’d seen the beloved Jets lineman recently and thought he “had more time.”

“I’m in shock like everybody else that this accelerated that quickly,” O’Hara said. “I certainly thought he had more time to find a donor.”

Added Manning: “I saw the news a few weeks ago about him reaching out and having some kidney issues. I feel bad I didn’t reach out at that time. I guess I thought I had more time. I did not know the severity of this. When I saw the news on Sunday, [I was] just heartbroken for his wife, his kids. We lost a great person.”

Mangold was drafted by the Jets with the 29th pick in the 2006 NFL Draft, two years after O’Hara and Manning joined the Giants. 

O’Hara and Mangold hit it off right away and supported each other as the two centers in the market.

Their bond became an extension of a deeply connected “fraternity” among centers, as O’Hara described it.

That bond never waivered, with O’Hara seeing Mangold less than two months ago.

O’Hara took his 12-year-old son, Jack, to a football camp at Delbarton School in Morristown, N.J., where Mangold was an offensive line coach for the varsity squad. 

The former Giants center didn’t realize how serious Mangold’s condition was until his social media announcement on Oct. 14.

“I know he’s got young kids, and that’s what makes this even harder,” O’Hara said. “I spent a lot of time (Sunday) just reflecting on, man, how does somebody this young lose it all and that quickly? It’s devastating. I just saw him, and it was a really tough day to digest all that and process all of it.”

Manning had a chance to take snaps from Mangold during each of their final Pro Bowl appearances after the 2015 season.

The two-time Super Bowl MVP formed an instant connection with the fan-favorite center, and their relationship continued to sprout after retirement.

The former Giants field general described their bond as “very much food-related and kid-related,” with them each having four children, and revealed that he saw Mangold about six months ago to “touch base.”

“We lived very close to each other in New Jersey and so I’d see him around town and see him with his family, with his kids,” Manning said. “Just one of the great people, great player, and I’m just saddened. I’m really saddened by this.”