Giants legends Eli Manning and Tom Coughlin joined Six Degrees with Kevin Bacon to discuss a wide range of topics including the Jay Fund.
New York Giants legend Eli Manning joined the Six Degrees with Kevin Bacon podcast on Tuesday, and he brought a guest with him — two-time Super Bowl champion head coach Tom Coughlin.
Manning talked about the Super Bowl victories over the New England Patriots, his famous pass to wide receiver David Tyree, growing up in the Manning household, and much more.
Coughlin, meanwhile, discussed the motivating force behind the creation of the Jay Fund Foundation and shared some interesting — and hilarious — stories about Eli as a child by way of Archie Manning.
Mya Rodriguez, a Tom Coughlin Jay Fund Foundation patient, will sing the national anthem ahead of the New York Giants’ regular season finale.
The New York Giants will close out the 2023 regular season on Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
As is tradition, the national anthem will be sung before kickoff and the Week 18 honor will belong to a Tom Coughlin Jay Fund Foundation patient.
Mya Rodriguez, who was diagnosed with stage 2A bulky Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in July of 2021 at the age of 17, was personally invited to perform by Giants co-owner John Mara. The surprise invite came during the 2023 Champions for Children Gala in mid-October.
At the time of her diagnosis, Mya was nearing the end of her senior year at High Tech High School – Hudson County Schools of Technology. She discovered a lump on her neck and tests confirmed the rare form of blood cell cancer. Her dreams of attending the Tisch School of the Arts felt like they were slipping away as Mya feared her long-term goals would have to change.
Mya graduated from Hudson County Schools of Technology – High Tech High School in June of 2021. Her plans of attending New York University’s Tisch School of Drama were put on hold last summer when she was diagnosed with cancer. Mya has already distinguished herself as an accomplished thespian, dancer, and singer. She participates in the Bergen Performing Arts Center and Choir, as well as multiple community theatre productions. During the pandemic, Mya created a video with her classmates to show support for the teachers in her high school.
Mya is now a sophomore at the New York University Tisch School of the Arts and on Sunday afternoon, she will share her singing talents with Giants Nation in front of more than 82,000.
The Tom Coughlin Jay Fund Foundation will honor New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll at their annual Champions for Children Gala.
The Tom Coughlin Jay Fund Foundation, founded by retired New York Giants head coach and three-time Super Bowl Champion Tom Coughlin, will hold its annual Champions for Children gala on Friday, October 13th at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
This represents the first time that the Champions for Children gala will be held at the Giants’ home stadium.
The honorees at this year’s event will be Stephen J. Squeri, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the American Express Company, as well as current Giants head coach Brian Daboll.
This year, New York Football Giants Head Coach Brian Daboll and American Express Chairman & CEO Stephen J. Squeri will be honored for their support and advocacy for childhood cancer patients and families. Professional athletes, celebrities, and supporters will enjoy an evening dedicated to raising money for local families facing the unthinkable. Since its inception, the Tom Coughlin Jay Fund Foundation has provided more than $24 million in financial support to over 5,600 families.
In addition to Coughlin, Daboll and Squeri, the following former Giants and football personalities are expected to be in attendance:
Andrea Kremer
Bart Oates
Bruce Beck
Chris Snee
Carl Banks
David Tyree
Harry Carson
Henry Hynoski
Jerry Palmieri
Karl Nelson
Kevin Boothe
Kevin Gilbride
Leonard Marshall
Ottis Anderson
Pat Flaherty
Phil Simms
Sean Landeta
Shaun O’Hara
Stephen Baker
Todd Martin
Victor Cruz
Fans can check out the ongoing auctions at the Jay Fund Foundation website, where they can also find additional information on tickets and ways to give.
This past Friday, former New York Giants head coach Tom Coughlin returned to MetLife Stadium. He wasn’t there on any team-related business but rather, Coughlin arrived to host a Jay Fund Foundation charity event.
It was the first time Coughlin was able to attend the annual Sundae Blitz in several years. It was a bittersweet moment after losing his wife, Judy, on November 2. He had become her full-time caregiver after she was diagnosed with progressive supranuclear palsy.
“When you spend four or five years and your routine is all around your better half and all of a sudden that stops, it’s tough,” Coughlin told Bob Glauber of Newsday. “I used to be very busy between 6 and 8 p.m., because we would get the meal ready, we would clean up and put her to bed. I’m sitting there now and saying, ‘What do I do?’ But I want to be busy. I want to be active. If I can be involved in this and I can see the benefits of helping the families, certainly that helps.”
Judy was a regular at Jay Fund events. She loved to help families in need and never once sought any notoriety for it. Coughlin is very much the same in that regard.
“Everything is about the kids,” Coughlin said. “That’s what makes life worthwhile, and when a parent comes up to you, takes you aside and tells you what you’ve meant to them and their child is standing right now to them and still fighting . . . It’s not about me, but I’ll tell you what it’s about. It’s about compassion and helping others when they need it.”
There were 250 attendees spanning 60 families at Friday’s Sundae Blitz. In addition to Coughlin, several Giants legends also attended. Among them were Chris Snee, Harry Carson, David Tyree and Kevin Boothe. Recently signed defensive tackle A’Shawn Robinson also made it a point to stop in after the Giants had concluded practice for the day.
Photo credit: Evan Pinkus
“This is what puts life in perspective,” Coughlin said. “You win a Super Bowl, then you visit a hospital, you see the parents who stay there overnight, you see the sick child, you know what they’re going through, you know their lives are completely disrupted and nothing is normal anymore. You realize these are people that need help, and in many cases they have no place to turn. We’ll put a roof over their heads, food on their table, pay their electric bill, transport them back and forth to the hospital. We’re going to be there when nobody else is there.”
Coughlin and the Jay Fund have never failed in their mission. Since being founded in 1996, they have distributed more than $20 million to upwards of 6,000 families in need.
On October 13, the Jay Fund will hold their next event — the Champions for Children Gala, which will also be held at MetLife Stadium. Giants head coach Brian Daboll will be among the honorees.
Information on how to attend the event can be requested at the official Jay Fund Foundation website. Donations can also be made by clicking here.
Coughlin, a three-time Super Bowl champion with the Giants, will receive the 2023 President’s Medal for Excellence.
Tom Coughlin is a former National Football League head coach who was part of three New York Giants Super Bowl winning teams, twice as head coach. He won his first Super Bowl while an assistant to legendary coach Bill Parcells in 1990. In 2004, he joined the New York Giants for 12 Seasons as head coach, leading the Giants to victory in Super Bowl XLII and Super Bowl XLVI, both times beating the New England Patriots.
Coughlin was also the inaugural head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars, serving from 1995 to 2002 and leading the team to two AFC Championship Games. He ranks as the 14th winningest coach in NFL history with 170 wins.
Prior to coaching in the NFL, Coughlin served as the Boston College football quarterbacks coach from 1981 to 1983. During that time, he coached 1984 Heisman Trophy winner Doug Flutie. From 1991 to 1993, he served as the Eagles’ head coach. He is founder of the Tom Coughlin Jay Fund Foundation, established in 1996 to help families tackle pediatric cancer. To date, the foundation has provided over $17 million in financial assistance and helped over 5,000 families.
Ahead of the event, Joe Sabia, who runs ‘73 questions‘ for Vogue, joined Coughlin via Zoom for a modified version of the interview. Instead of 73 questions, Sabia asked the coach 31 questions in honor of Jay McGillis, who served as inspiration for Coughlin to found the Jay Fund Foundation.
During the interview, Coughlin touches on many subjects including his time with the Giants and Boston College, his rivalry with the New England Patriots and, of course, his late wife, Judy.
Tom Coughlin sits down with Giants Wire to discuss his new book, Super Bowl XLII, the Jay Fund Foundation and much, much more.
Legendary New York Giants head coach and two-time Super Bowl champion, Tom Coughlin, is releasing his newest book next week. And t former Giants head coach sat down with Giants Wire to talk about it — and many other things..
The book gives Giants fans the angle from the coach’s point of view and goes through some details that most Big Blue fans don’t know and other facts that fans may have forgotten about.
Coughlin is also very proud of his work done through his foundation “The Jay Fund” which he also reflected on during the interview.
The book will be released on December 6 and it is one any Giants fan will want to pickup.
New York Giants legend Harry Carson will be among the honorees at The Jay Fund Foundation’s annual Champions for Children Gala in NYC.
The Jay Fund, the foundation created by former New York Giants head coach Tom Coughlin, will hold its annual Champions for Children Gala on Friday night, October 21, at Cipriani in midtown Manhattan.
New York Giants Hall of Fame linebacker Harry Carson and his wife, Maribel, will be among this year’s honorees.
Among the attendees this year will be Giants co-owner John Mara, NBC broadcaster Bruce Beck and many former Giants players and coaches, most notably Bart Oates, Phil Simms, Chris Snee, Chuck Mercein, David Tyree, Jeff Feagles, Jerry Palmieri, Kevin Boothe, Victor Cruz and Leonard Marshall.
The Tom Coughlin Jay Fund Foundation Gala is marking its 17th year of providing financial, emotional, and practical support for families tackling pediatric cancer in the New York/New Jersey Metropolitan area.
Professional athletes, celebrities, and supporters will enjoy an evening dedicated to raising money for local families facing the unthinkable.
Since its inception, the Tom Coughlin Jay Fund Foundation has helped more than 5,000 families and provided more than $16 million in financial assistance to those families and patients who need it most.
Eli Manning credits Tom Coughlin for setting an example when it came to giving back to the community and helping those in need.
During Eli Manning’s career with the New York Giants and beyond, he’s always made giving back to the community a priority in life. Tom Coughlin’s Jay Fund Foundation has been a tremendous outlet for Manning and other former Giants to give back over the years.
In fact, Manning credits Coughlin for helping mold his charitable nature.
Earlier this week, Manning spoke to Giants Wire on behalf on Quaker and Feeding America. During that interview, Manning was asked about Coughlin and the Jay Fund.
“Coach Coughlin had a huge impact on me,” Manning said. “When I came to the Giants, I’m 23 years old. He was my coach for 12 years, you leave and you’re 35 years old — you have kids but now you’re a grown man. Having him as my head coach and also seeing his passion about helping others… And he can do that. He had the ability to focus on football and preparation and work, and also have this soft side and be able to express it.
“He made sure that was a priority for his players — giving back, being a part of the community and doing something to help others. And so, a big part of me and getting involved in different charitable initiatives is because I saw coach Coughlin and how passionate he was about helping others.
“Helping those families from the Jay Fund that are dealing with cancer and going through tough times and making sure they had the necessities to pay their bills, to get food. I think he’s had a huge influence and I still keep up with him regularly and talk to him. I still use him for guidance as a mentor.”
Coughlin’s guidance over Manning has allowed the two-time Super Bowl MVP to excel both on and off the field. Eli seems to always make his charity work a priority even with his extremely busy schedule.
Manning’s involvement in the ManningCast, as well as his shows Eli’s Places and The Eli Manning Show, and his involvement with the Giants have not deterred him from keeping up with the community work.
Manning has always been a class act over the years and his generosity off the field is an underrated and admirable aspect of his life.
Because of COVID-19, the 2020 Gala will be held virtually, opening the door for more New York Giants fans and supporters of the Jay Fund Foundation to participate and interact than in previous years.
Attendees will be placed at virtual tables where they can interact privately with others at their table while also viewing the inspiring event and participating in silent auctions. Special guests will also pop by to say hello and communicate throughout the night.
For those who have purchased a seat, the silent auction will be a highlight for memorabilia collectors and supporters of the Jay Fund Foundation, which has seen a 52% increase in requests for emergency financial assistance given the vulnerability of families dealing with the pandemic.
“Everyone can be a champion in the lives of our vulnerable New York and New Jersey families tackling pediatric cancer. This year more than ever, our local families facing the unthinkable need the help of our loyal Giants fans to help the Tom Coughlin Jay Fund Foundation raise money to keep the roof over their heads, food on the table, the lights on, and so much more when they are putting all of their resources toward helping their child get better. No dollar amount is too small and on behalf of all our Jay Fund families, I humbly thank you,” Tom Coughlin told Giants Wire.
Among the memorabilia items up for bid are a Giants jersey signed by Saquon Barkley, a custom cleat signed by Victor Cruz, a Super Bowl XLII helmet signed by Tom Coughlin, a jersey signed by Harry Carson, a Super Bowl XLVI football signed by Eli Manning and so much more.
“We started it when I was in New York and we wanted to, again, spread our wings and help families who have a child with cancer,” Coughlin told MSG 150 in May.
“Eli Manning has agreed to be an honoree. Jimmy Dunne III from the financial world has agreed to be an honoree. Lesa France Kennedy from NASCAR is another honoree. It’s a knock the ball out of the park group of honorees.”
Sponsorships remain open and every dollar will go towards helping a family in need. Tackling childhood cancer is something we can all get behind.
For any questions or requests for additional information, you can contact the Champions for Children Gala HQ at (212) 627-1000 or jayfund@resevt.com.
We at Giants Wire will be there and we hope to see you there, too!
