If you need a heartwarming story to brighten your day, perhaps a tale about former NFL head coach Bill Parcells will do the trick.
The Pro Football Hall of Famer coached the New York Giants from 1983 to 1990, leading the franchise to Super Bowl championships in the 1986 and ’90 seasons. He subsequently coached the New England Patriots (1993 to ’96), New York Jets (1997 to ’99) and Dallas Cowboys (2003 to ’06).
Legendary NFL writer and author Gary Myers has a new book on the 1986 Giants coming out called “Once a Giant: A Story of Victory, Tragedy, and Life After Football.” Per Ryan Glasspiegel of the New York Post, Myers shared an incredibly moving story about how Parcells helped some of his players during an appearance on WFAN’s “Boomer and Gio”:
“It’s just incredibly generous what he’s done with these guys. Bill has loaned out $4 million to 20 players that played for him, who come to him in this financial crisis. Bill knows when they come to him it’s a last resort.
“I said to him, ‘Bill, you know, $4 million, you don’t expect anybody to pay you back. Why are you doing that?’ And he said, ‘These guys have sacrificed so much for me with their bodies and their commitment.’…
He’s put away money he needs for the rest of his life, he’s given money to his kids, and what he has left he’s designated to help those close to him who need it. I think it’s unprecedented. I don’t think I know of any other coach who sits down and writes checks to his former players who are really in financial need. It’s really a cool story.”
Faith in humanity restored, indeed.
“Big Tuna” retired after leading the Giants to their second Super Bowl championship, having completed an unlikely run by defeating the high-powered Buffalo Bills’ offense in the big game.
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Parcells came back to coach the Patriots in 1993 and led them to a Super Bowl 31 appearance in the 1996 season, where they fell to the Packers. However, he left the organization following disagreements with owner Robert Kraft regarding input on player personnel decisions.
In his final season as head coach, Parcells coached Dallas to a 9-7 record and playoff appearance. They were eliminated by the Seattle Seahawks in the Wild Card Round.
