Bill Parcells is still loyal to his former players for the New York Giants. In fact, the Hall of Fame head coach has been going above and beyond to help out some of those who suited up for Big Blue during his tenure from 1983 to 1991, according to author Gary Myers.
Parcells has loaned up to $4 million to assist as many as 20 players he worked with in the NFL.
Myers, who has written a book entitled “Once a Giant: A Story of Victory, Tragedy, and Life After Football,” about Parcells’ 1986 Super Bowl winners, appeared on WFAN’s “Boomer & Gio”show (h/t the New York Post’s Ryan Glasspiegel) to explain: “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.”
Although Myers warned Parcells those loans are unlikely to be repaid, the two-time Super Bowl winner is prepared to accept the loss: “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.’”
Parcells’ selfless act maintains the warm connection between the coach and a team that defined a hugely significant era within the history of the Giants.
Coach’s Tenure Defined an Era for Giants
Parcells helped rescue the Giants from a prolonged period of mediocrity and restored the franchise to the league summit. In the process, his team became one of the driving forces behind the popularity of the NFL in the 1980s.
Those Giants were defined by dominant defenses. A linebacker-led unit, underpinned by Hall of Famers Lawrence Taylor and Harry Carson, as well as capable running mates Carl Banks, Gary Reasons and Pepper Johnson, was feared across the league.
There were also iconic players on offense, including quarterback Phil Simms, tight end Mark Bavaro, center Bart Oates and running back Joe Morris. Both units powered a 14-2 record in ’86, then helped thrash the San Francisco 49ers of Bill Walsh, Joe Montana and Jerry Rice 49-3 in the playoffs, before shutting out Joe Gibbs’ Washington 17-0 in the NFC Championship Game.
The pinnacle came when Taylor and Banks battered John Elway, while a near-flawless Simms dissected a usually solid Denver Broncos’ defense en route to a 39-20 victory in the 1987 Super Bowl.
OTD: Phil Simms led Big Blue to Super Bowl XXI victory 🏆
As Myers pointed out, “Parcells has made this transition from a guy who had love-hate relationships with his players to the patriarch of that ’86 team, now that Wellington Mara has been gone for awhile and Bill has had his 82nd birthday recently.”
While the ’86 vintage may be closest to Parcells’ heart, the master team-builder delivered another Lombardi Trophy four seasons later. Those 1990 Giants had key new faces like running back Ottis OJ Anderson, left tackle Jumbo Elliott, cornerback Everson Walls and safeties Greg Jackson and Myron Guyton.
This group didn’t dominate like the 1986 team, but it still went 13-3 to setup an epic playoff run Parcells engineered with backup quarterback Jeff Hostetler at the controls. Hostetler helped deny the 49ers a Super Bowl three-peat in a conference title classic at Candlestick Park, to earn the right to face the high-powered Buffalo Bills in the 1991 Super Bowl.
Although it took Scott Norwood missing a 47-yard field goal attempt to preserve a 20-19 win for the Giants, Parcells had overseen a masterful gameplan on both sides of the ball.
#BestPartOfThe90sWas Super Bowl XXV 🏆
The legacy of the 1990 team stretched far beyond Parcells. One of his assistants that season was Tom Coughlin, who became Giants’ head coach in 2004 and replicated his old boss by also winning two Super Bowls.
Ironically, both of Coughlin’s championships came at the expense of the New England Patriots and Parcells’ top lieutenant. Bill Belichick was defensive coordinator for Parcells’ title-winning Giants, and the coaching tree formed by both men is still helping the Giants today.
Bill Parcells is a Fan of Current Giants’ Regime
Long before he took charge of the Giants in 2022, Brian Daboll twice served on Belichick’s staffs in New England. Daboll earned plenty of plaudits when he guided the Giants to the playoffs as a rookie head coach last season, and Parcells took note.
The retired coach who also rebuilt the Patriots, New York Jets and Dallas Cowboys, expressed his delight when Daboll returned the Giants to the postseason for the first time since 2016, per Ian O’Connor of the New York Post: “This is what we’re supposed to do. We’re supposed to get in the playoffs, and I’m happy, elated, for my guys. I’ve been rooting for this team since 1949.”
Parcells was also a guest at practice back in June, per SNY.tv’s Giants Videos.
Bill Parcells chats with Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll at Giants practice
Parcells’ affinity for the Giants is being shown via both his words and actions. He’ll be hoping Daboll is able to emulate past successes, preferably those of the ’86 squad.
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Giants’ Legend Gave $4 Million to Former Players in Need: Author