Coaches are usually known for being tough on the outside, but while they push players hard on the field, they also share an emotional bond with them beyond the game. One such figure was former New York Giants coach Bill Parcells, who according to longtime sports writer Gary Myers, went out of his way to help out players. Speaking to Ryan Glasspiegel of the New York Post, Myers shared how Parcells had loaned out about $4 million to 20 of his former players who were in financial distress. Myers shared the story ahead of the release of his book about the 1986 Super Bowl-winning Giants squad, titled “Once a Giant: A Story of Victory, Tragedy, and Life After Football."
A Peek into the Heart of Bill The "Big 'Generous' Tuna"
Appearing on WFAN, the former New York-area sportsman mentioned that Parcells gave out the money to his players with no expectation or intention of getting it back. Myers said that Parcells wrote the checks to players who came to him during a financial crisis. “Bill knows when they come to him it’s a last resort," he told Glasspiegel.
Myers said he even asked Parcells why he would give out money when he didn’t hope to get it back. He recalled Parcells answering, “These guys have sacrificed so much for me with their bodies and their commitment.” Most of the players that Parcells gave the loans to were the members of the 1986 Giants lineup. Some were players from different teams that Parcells had coached during his career. The story is a part of Myers' book that focuses largely on the 1986 Giants, the team that Parcells guided to their first Super Bowl win.
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“People are going to find out how Bill Parcells has made this transition from a guy who had love-hate relationships with his players to the patriarch of that ’86 team," Myers said. The sports writer explained that Parcells has put away all the money he needed for the rest of his life and has provided enough for his kids as well. "I think it’s unprecedented,” Myers remarked. He added that he didn't know any other coach who sits down and writes checks to his former players who need financial help.
A Legendary Run as Coach
When Parcells, now 83, stepped in to coach The Giants, the team was going through one of the darkest periods of its history. Parcells only had a short time to turn things around, and pulled it off after working diligently with his players and making controversial moves. He led the team to its first two Super Bowl titles in 1986 and 1990, respectively.
He coached the Giants for eight seasons from 1983-90, before embarking on a brief retirement due to health problems. He then returned to the NFL just three years later, taking over as the head coach of the Patriots in 1993. After spending four seasons with the Patriots he went on to coach the Jets for three years and then the Cowboys for four seasons before finally retiring with a 172-130-1 lifetime record in the NFL. He remains the only coach to lead four different franchises to the playoffs.
Over the past decade, Parcells made several visits to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was prominently featured when Lawrence Taylor (1999) gave his induction speech. Parcells was the first to help Taylor with his substance abuse. “I’d like to thank a coach, that without him ... man I tell you, he’s the coach of coaches, in my opinion,” Taylor said during his speech.
