After joining the NFL in 1925, the New York Giants made entry to five Super Bowls and stole four out of them in the 1950s and 60s. The franchise witnessed a heavy fall from 1964 to 1980 as it couldn’t reach the postseason, having only two winning seasons. However, their misfortune didn’t last long as the team entered a new era in the 1980s, starting in 1985, when New York went 12-6.
Though the Giants won four Lombardi trophies till the 1980s, the 1986 New York squad has always been ranked among the best teams of their Super Bowl era, and Bill Parcells is one of the most notable heroes of the glory.
Who is ex-Giants C Bill Parcells? Explained
Parcells served as the head coach of the league for 19 years. He kicked off the duty by leading the Giants for eight seasons from 1983-90. During this time period, he led the franchise to its first two Super Bowl titles in 1986 and 1990 before announcing retirement due to health problems. He made a U-turn after three years and served as HC of the New England Patriots in 1993.
The now 82-year-old veteran coached the Patriots for four seasons before heading to the New York Jets for three years. After concluding his journey in Gang Green, he served in the Dallas Cowboys for the final four seasons of his career before retiring for the last time. Till now, Bill boasts the record of being the only coach in the NFL to lead four different squads to the playoffs and three to a conference championship.
Bill Parcells lends $4 million to 20 ex-Giants players in a ‘financial crisis’
During a recent appearance on WFAN’s “Morning Show with Boomer & Gio” on Friday morning, Gary Myers, a prominent writer for the New York Daily News and the Dallas Morning News, shed light on his new book about the Super Bowl-winning 1986 Giants, “Once a Giant: A Story of Victory, Tragedy, and Life After Football.”
His book is due out Sept. 12 via PublicAffairs and one of the interesting stories of it will be how Parcells moonlighted as a hero for his champion squad back in 1986.
“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 reporter later disclosed the veteran coach once lent $4 million to 20 Giants players in their financial crisis despite knowing he was not going to get back the money in the near future,
“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.’”
Gary continued saying how the former New York HC didn’t think about his personal gain while stretching his helping hands towards the athletes and raved about him saying no NFL coach would bother to take the same initiative for players struggling financially.
“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.”
What Parcells did is really commendable, especially for the players who toiled hard to earn him the prestigious Hall of Fame title in 2013. What’s your take on this heartwarming gesture from him? You can share your opinion in the comment section.
