Former New York Giants head coach Bill Parcells is remembered for his straightforward, no-nonsense, gruff demeanor but according to a new report, he apparently has a sentimental, generous side to him.
Over the years, the Hall of Fame coach has reportedly loaned nearly $4 million to some of his ex-players who have undergone financial strife.
Long-time NFL reporter Gary Myers recently outlined in his book about the 1986 Giants that Parcells has become the patriarch of sorts for many Giant alumni and has helped around 20 players who came to him seeking financial help.
“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, now that Wellington Mara has been gone for a while and Bill has had his 82nd birthday recently,” Myers said in a radio interview on WFAN, via the New York Post.
“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 came 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.'”
Parcells was always known as a players’ coach even though he was quick to criticize them when they didn’t comply. The defensive players all loved him and he hasn’t forgotten what they have done for him.
Good for Parcells. Good for the Giants.
As they say, ‘Once a Giant, always a Giant.’
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