Pro Football Historian (PFH) is a blog page written by Flint Given. Pro Football Historian or PFH is a page to inform people on prior NFL events that people might not know about. Learning about teams from the 1920s or even the first few NFL World Championships in the 1930s fascinates me. It's these kinds of events that I want to discuss in this blog. Hopefully you are interested and will continue to check up on my blogs.
William Ray Guy was an American professional football punter who played for the Oakland / Los Angeles Raiders of the National Football League. Guy was a first-team All-American selection in 1972 as a senior for the Southern Miss Golden Eagles, and is the only pure punter ever to be drafted in the first round of the NFL draft, when the Raiders selected him with the 23rd overall pick in the 1973 NFL draft. He won three Super Bowls with the Raiders. Guy was elected to both the College Football Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2014. An eight-time All-Pro, Guy is widely considered to be the greatest punter of all time.
With his induction to the Hall of Fame on August 2, 2014, he became the first pure punter to be so honored.
Guy was the first kicker to be selected in the first round in the NFL draft, when the Oakland Raiders selected him with the 23rd overall pick of the 1973 draft.
In his career as a punter, Guy played his entire career with the Raiders and was selected to seven Pro Bowl teams, including six in a row from 1973 to 1978. He was named as the punter on the NFL's 75th and 100th anniversary teams. His trademark was kicking punts that stayed in the air for long periods of time. His punts frequently left opposing offenses pinned deep in their end of the field; by the time opposing punt returners fielded a Guy punt, the Raiders had the field covered so well that a return was impossible. Pro Football Hall of Fame historian Joe Horrigan once said of Guy, "He's the first punter you could look at and say: 'He won games.'"
In Super Bowl XVIII, Guy punted seven times for 299 yards (42.7 average), with 244 net yards (34.8 average). Five of his punts pinned the Washington Redskins inside their own 20. Due in part to his effective punting, the Los Angeles Raiders easily won the game, 38–9.
After a 1977 game against Houston, Oilers coach Bum Phillips accused Guy of using footballs illegally inflated with helium. Houston returner Billy Johnson stated that he had "never seen anyone hang kickoffs like Guy did", and that the ball was "hanging up there too long". Additionally, the Raiders had used a new ball for every punt, adding to the Oilers' suspicions. Phillips said after the game that he would send the ball to Rice University for testing. Guy punted three times for 107 yards in the game, significantly less than his career average.
In 2000, the Greater Augusta Sports Council instituted the Ray Guy Award, to be awarded to the nation's best collegiate punter.
In 2005, Guy helped organize and participated in two-day kicking camps, held throughout the United States, for high school punters, placekickers, and long snappers.
Guy was married to Beverly Guy. The couple had two children, Ryan and Amber.
In 2011, Guy filed for bankruptcy and auctioned his three Super Bowl rings to help pay his debts. The auction of the rings brought in $96,216, exceeding the upper estimate of $90,000.
After a lengthy illness, Guy died on November 3, 2022, in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, at age 72. The cause was advanced-stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
During his career, Guy was also the Raiders' emergency quarterback. He also handled kickoffs in the first five years of his career.
In his 14-year career. Ray Guy played in 207 consecutive games. Punted 1,049 times for 44,493 yards, averaging 42.4 yards per punt, with a 33.8 net yards average. Had 210 punts inside the 20-yard line (not counting his first 3 seasons, when the NFL did not keep track of this stat), with just 128 touchbacks. Led the NFL in gross yards per punt three times. Had a streak of 619 consecutive punts before having one blocked. Has a record of 111 career punts in postseason games.
Guy was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a member of the class of 2014 on August 2, 2014. For many years before his induction, he was considered one of the most worthy players who had not yet been selected for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was the first punter enshrined in the Hall of Fame, and as of 2024, is still the only player at his position in the Hall. In his enshrinement speech, he proudly proclaimed, "Now the Hall of Fame has a complete team."
Guy was inducted into both the Mississippi and Georgia Sports Halls of Fame, the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame, the National High School Sports Hall of Fame, and the College Football Hall of Fame.
Sources:
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Derrick Dewan Brooks is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker for his entire 14-year career in the National Football League with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Brooks played college football for the Florida State Seminoles, earning consensus All-American honors twice. He was selected by the Buccaneers in the first round of the 1995 NFL draft. An 11-time Pro Bowl selection and five-time first-team All-Pro, Brooks was the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2002 en route to winning the franchise's first Super Bowl title in Super Bowl XXXVII. He was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2014 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 2016.
Following his retirement, Brooks served as co-owner and president of the Tampa Bay Storm in the Arena Football League (AFL) from 2011 to 2017. In 2025, he became the chief operating officer for the South Florida Bulls athletics program.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected Brooks in the first round (28th overall) of the 1995 NFL draft. The Buccaneers traded both of their second-round picks (46th overall and 63rd overall) to the Dallas Cowboys for their first-round pick (28th overall) and used the pick to draft Brooks. Brooks was the second linebacker drafted in 1995 NFL Draft, behind Washington State's Mark Fields (13th overall).
Brooks played 14 years for the Buccaneers and is widely considered one of the best players in franchise history and one of the best linebackers in NFL history. From 1995 to 2008, Brooks started 221 of 224 games, recording 1,698 tackles, 13.5 sacks, 25 interceptions, and six touchdowns (tied for the most in NFL history by a linebacker with Bobby Bell). He was selected to the Pro Bowl 11 times, including 10 straight from 1997 to 2006, was an All-Pro nine times, was the AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2002, and led the team to the franchise's first Super Bowl win in Super Bowl XXXVII.
As a rookie in 1995, Brooks started 13 of 16 games. He finished the season with 78 tackles with a sack and earned first-team all-rookie honors from Pro Football Weekly and Pro Football Writers Association. During his second season 1996, he started all 16 games and finished with a team-leading 132 tackles and his first career interception. In 1997, Brooks earned his first trip to the Pro Bowl after recording 144 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and two interceptions in 16 games. In 1998, Brooks had another Pro Bowl season after recording 156 tackles and an interception.
In 1999, Brooks made the Pro Bowl for the third time and was a first-team All-Pro selection for the first time in his career. For the season, he had 153 tackles, two sacks, and four interceptions. In 2000, Brooks earned his fourth consecutive trip to the Pro Bowl and his second consecutive first-team All-Pro selection. He finished the season with 140 tackles, a sack, and had his first career touchdown on a 34-yard interception from Minnesota Vikings quarterback Daunte Culpepper. Brooks was also, along with Jim Flanigan of the Chicago Bears, the winner of the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award, given to a National Football League player for his community service activities as well as his excellence on the field. Brooks made his fifth consecutive Pro Bowl in 2001 after recording 112 tackles and three interceptions.
Brooks' best season came in 2002. During that year he was named NFL Defensive Player of the Year by the Associated Press and helped the Buccaneers win the franchise's first Super Bowl. He also made his sixth consecutive Pro Bowl and was a first-team All-Pro selection for the third time. For the season he had 117 tackles, a sack, five interceptions, and returned an NFL record, for a linebacker, four touchdowns (one off a fumble and three off interceptions). During the Buccaneers 48–21 victory over the Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl XXXVII, he returned an interception off of Raiders quarterback Rich Gannon 44 yards for the clinching touchdown.
In 2003, Brooks broke Lee Roy Selmon's team record for most consecutive Pro Bowl appearances with seven. He finished the season with 101 tackles, a sack, two interceptions, and returned an interception for a touchdown. In 2004, Brooks made his eighth consecutive Pro Bowl and fifth- first-team All-Pro selection after recording 137 tackles, three sacks, and an interception. In 2005, Brooks made his ninth consecutive Pro Bowl and earned his sixth first-team All-Pro selection. He finished the season with 125 tackles, three sacks, and an interception.
In Brooks' 10th consecutive Pro Bowl in 2006, he was named the MVP after returning a Trent Green interception 59 yards for a touchdown to secure the victory for the NFC. During the regular season he had 121 tackles, three interceptions and a touchdown. In 2007, Brooks had 109 tackles and was not voted to the Pro Bowl for the first time since 1996. In Brooks' last year with the Buccaneers in 2008, he recorded 73 tackles and an interception and was selected to his 11th Pro Bowl. The 11 Pro Bowls are tied for second-most by a linebacker in NFL history.
On February 25, 2009, the Buccaneers released Brooks. He was one of five veterans that the Bucs released on that day. The others were wide receivers Joey Galloway and Ike Hilliard, running back Warrick Dunn and linebacker Cato June. The Bucs had previously fired Head Coach Jon Gruden and General Manager Bruce Allen and were looking to build a younger team under the likes of Raheem Morris and Mark Dominik. Brooks never missed a game in his 14 years in Tampa Bay, a total of 224 consecutive games. He was the starting weakside linebacker for the last 208 of those games, an NFL record for that position and the second-longest consecutive start streak for any linebacker in NFL history.
After spending all of the 2009 season as a free agent, Brooks officially announced his retirement on August 11, 2010.
On January 10, 2014, Brooks was named among the 15 modern-era Pro Football Hall of Fame finalists. Former Buccaneers safety John Lynch (who was Brooks' teammate from 1995 to 2003) and former Buccaneers head coach Tony Dungy (who coached Brooks from 1996 to 2001) were also finalists. On February 1, Brooks was elected to the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. He is the third Hall of Famer to have earned his credentials primarily as a Buc, the others being Lee Roy Selmon and Warren Sapp (Brooks' teammate from 1995 to 2003).
Brooks previously was a football analyst for ESPN and co-host of The Red Zone on Sirius NFL Radio and as an analyst on ESPN First Take.
In 2011, Brooks became a part owner and the team president for the Tampa Bay Storm of the Arena Football League. The team folded in December 2017.
Derrick Brooks, with Anquan Boldin
Since 2014, Brooks has served as a jointly-appointed appeals officer for the NFL and NFL Players Association, charged with reviewing discipline for in-game misconduct.
On October 30, 2025, the South Florida Bulls announced Brooks' appointment as chief operating officer for the school's athletic program.
Brooks is married and has four children. Brooks is a Christian.
Brooks is the founder of Derrick Brooks Charities. He has taken local youth across the nation and South Africa with the objective of presenting a first-hand experience, or a "mobile classroom," this group is known as the Brooks Bunch. Brooks also headed the founding of the Brooks-DeBartolo Collegiate High School in Tampa with fellow Pro Football Hall of Fame member Edward J. DeBartolo Jr.
Brooks is well known for his charity work and his advocacy of the importance of education. He was the co-recipient of the 2000 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award and was named to the Florida State University Board of Trustees in 2003 by Governor Jeb Bush.
Sources: "Ex-Buc Derrick Brooks officially retires from NFL". Pnj.com. Retrieved June 27, 2013. FHSAA announces 33-member All-Century football team Archived December 27, 2009, at the Wayback Machine "Florida State to retire Derrick Brooks' jersey". Blogs.tampabay.com. Archived from the original on June 27, 2010. Retrieved June 27, 2013. Former FSU football phenom Derrick Brooks to have jersey retired Archived June 28, 2010, at the Wayback Machine "Florida State retires Derrick Brooks' jersey". Miami Herald. November 14, 2010. Retrieved December 18, 2010. "Derrick Brooks, Combine Results, OLB - Florida State". nflcombineresults.com. Retrieved September 15, 2018. "1995 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 31, 2023. Gary Shelton, Times Sports Columnist View all Articles. "Farewell, 55: Derrick Brooks was perhaps the greatest Buc ever". Tampabay.com. Archived from the original on October 12, 2012. Retrieved June 27, 2013. "Often-overlooked Brooks has spot reserved in Canton". ESPN. June 10, 2008. Retrieved June 27, 2013. Mayer, Larry (July 26, 2013). "Briggs adjusting to new role as defensive play-caller". Chicago Bears. Archived from the original on July 30, 2013. Retrieved July 26, 2013. Bell, Jarrett (January 11, 2010). "Derrick Brooks the perfect pick as the NFL's best OLB of 2000s". Usatoday.com. Retrieved June 27, 2013. Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award Archived October 7, 2007, at the Wayback Machine "Individual Records: Interceptions". Nfl.com. Retrieved June 27, 2013. "Super Bowl XXXVII Tampa Bay 48, Oakland 21". Nfl.com. January 27, 2003. Retrieved June 27, 2013. "Brooks Scores TD, Wins Pro Bowl MVP". Pewterreport.com. June 23, 2013. Archived from the original on February 27, 2012. Retrieved June 27, 2013. "Brooks, Dunn done in Tampa Bay". ESPN. February 25, 2009. Retrieved June 27, 2013. "Tampa Bay Buccaneers release Derrick Brooks, four others". Archived from the original on January 11, 2014. Retrieved January 11, 2014. "Brooks to Announce Retirement". Buccaneers.com. June 21, 2013. Archived from the original on March 22, 2012. Retrieved June 27, 2013. "Brooks, Dungy, Jones among Pro Hall finalists". ESPN.com. January 10, 2014. Retrieved June 21, 2019. "Derrick Brooks headlines HOF class". ESPN. February 1, 2014. "Derrick Brooks Stats". ESPN. ESPN Internet Ventures. Retrieved July 2, 2014. "Derrick Brooks Stats". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved June 20, 2023. "Ex-Tampa Bay Buccaneers LB Derrick Brooks joins ESPN2's First Take as NFL analyst". Blogs.tampabay.com. Archived from the original on September 26, 2009. Retrieved June 27, 2013. Rick Stroud (April 12, 2011). "Derrick Brooks to become Tampa Bay Storm president, part owner". Tampa Bay Times. Archived from the original on April 15, 2013. Retrieved November 15, 2012. "STORM TO SUSPEND OPERATIONS, EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY". tampabaystorm.com. December 21, 217. Archived from the original on December 22, 2017. Retrieved December 21, 2017. "Tampa Bay Buccaneers Legend Derrick Brooks to Serve as NFL Appeals Officer". Archived from the original on July 29, 2014. Retrieved July 29, 2014. "Derrick Brooks Joins USF Athletics as Chief Operating Officer". South Florida Bulls. October 30, 2025. Retrieved October 30, 2025. Honeycutt, Brett (June 30, 2014). "Closeup — Derrick Brooks". Sports Spectrum. Retrieved November 7, 2021.
The American Football Union (AFU) was a coalition of amateur, semi-professional, and collegiate club football teams that operated from 1886 to 1895 in the New York metropolitan area. Although the minor league was practically inconsequential and obscure in the development of professional American football, the Orange Athletic Club, who participated in the league from 1888 to 1895, would go on to become the Orange and Newark Tornadoes, and join the NFL for two seasons in 1929 and 1930.
On January 6, 1886, representatives from several different athletic institutions across the New York metropolitan area met at 23 Dey Street in Manhattan to discuss the plausibility of a new athletic association for the sport of football. These institutions were the Staten Island, New-Brighton, Cutler, Stevens Institute, Polytechnic Institute, Brooklyn Hill, Crescent, and Victoria football clubs. The delegates of these eight athletic clubs eventually voted to form the association known as "The American Football Union". An election was held, and C. M. Smith of the Staten Island Cricket Club was chosen as the first AFU president. William Denman won secretary, and William H. Ford, E. P. Moorton, and R. M. Ormiston were appointed to the Executive Committee.
The second meeting for the fledging football association was held at 3:00 p.m. on the following Wednesday at the same site, and was focused on laying down a series of rules for the league to adopt. A committee composed of R.M Ormiston, H. C. Staniland, and H. Waldo Jr., who were the captains of the Polytechnic, Victoria, and New-Brighton athletic clubs respectively, were chosen to draft the new rules for the union. Other developments of note were arrangements for a schedule of conference matchups for the upcoming football season, as well as a trophy for whichever club won the most in-league games. A new rule was established that if any club failed to make an appearance within half an hour of their scheduled contest, they would have to forfeit the contest to the opposing team. The Brooklyn Hills and Cutler's school delegates were absent, and the Stevens Institute sent in a letter of resignation from the Union.
The AFU's first fall meeting was held on September 31 at No.243 Broadway Street, and welcomed representatives from the five institutions who confirmed their teams for the 1886 season. They were the Unions of Columbia College, Brooklyn Hill Football Club, Cutler School, the Spartan Harriers, and the Staten Island Football Club. The Staten Island Football Club was a consolidation of three clubs on Staten Island, the Athletic, Cricket, and Rowing associations, as well as the Clifton Athletic Club. William Halsey of the Brooklyn Hills was appointed the new secretary of the AFU, and the annual dues for membership were set at $10 (roughly $275 in 2020).
Although the first contest between two members of the AFU occurred on October 10, the first AFU sanctioned football game took place on October 16 with the Brooklyn Hills Football Club against the "Crickets of Stevens" (Stevens Institute Secondary team) at 3:30 p.m. on St. George's Cricket grounds in Hoboken, New Jersey. The Crickets won 8–6, but disputed calls by the referee resulted in the contest coming under review of the AFU Executive Committee.
For the 1886 season, the plan was for each of the representative teams to play each other twice, and whoever recorded the most wins would be given the Union pennant as champion of the league. However, much turmoil persisted around membership in the early AFU that strained this requirement. The Polytechnic Institute attended the first two meetings of the AFU but opted out of league-play because of an apparent lack of strength in their team. The New York Athletic Club was in negotiations with the Executive Committee but never committed to the $10 fee, and the Nassau Athletic Club applied for the Union and was denied. Although the Crescent Athletic Club was a founding member of the Union, they would not be considered a member for the 1886 season. The reason for this is unknown, but there was some speculation that the Athletic Club was too strong for the new organization, with the team composed of many Yale Alumni. On October 19 it was reported that the Spartan Harriers were withdrawing from the AFU effective immediately, and the Polytechnic Institute was to pick up the Harriers' schedule. It's unclear, but unlikely, that the Institute followed this request. The Cutlers, who had not played a single team in the AFU all season, resigned on October 24, with Brooklyn Hills appointed to play their remaining opponent, the Staten Island Football Club. The Hills would tie the club team 0–0 on November 13, Three days later, Brooklyn Hills would hold a club meeting and resign from the organization as well, citing an inability to complete their present schedule and frustration over having too many Saturday's without a conference matchup. By the end of the season, the AFU was composed of only three teams, the Crickets of the Stevens Institute, the Unions of Columbia College, and the Staten Island Football Club. A year later, this resignation would be blamed on an "unfair decision in a disputed game", which would allude to either their November 6 forfeit win or disputed loss to the Crickets on October 16.
At the first meeting of the new year, held in the office of AFU president Clarence Smith, the Crickets of Stevens Institute were officially and unanimously awarded the championship pennant for the 1886 season. The Crickets had compiled a 3–0 record in official league contests, and outscored their opponents by a total of 35 to 22. F. S. Sevenoak of the Crickets Club was elected as the new secretary and treasurer of the league after the resignation of William Halsey of the Brooklyn Football Club.
The Crescent Athletic Club was officially admitted to the AFU as a full member in April of the 1887 season. They would become the most dominant team in the Union over the next five seasons. A team was also formed by the Staten Island Cricket and Baseball Club, after spending a year consolidated in the Staten Island Football Club (and any players that were in the football club were then amalgamated in the cricket club). The last addition for the season was the New York Athletic Club, which entered the league to replace the Crickets of Stevens, who may have combined with the Unions of Columbia in mid-October. The Unions would last for a month before folding themselves, with some sources claiming that the team did so because of their abysmal league record. At a meeting on November 21, the AFU officially recognized the Crickets resignation from the league, but stated that the Unions of Columbia College's resignation was still "laid out on the table".
With a 6–0 record, and having not allowed a single point against them in AFU competition, the Crescent Athletic Club was officially awarded the championship pennant and the title of "Metropolitan champion" (in relation to the New York metropolitan area). The meeting for the ceremony was held at No 243 Broadway, in the office of Union President Clarence Smith, and was attended by representatives from the Crescent Athletic Club and Staten Island Cricket Club. The AFU was adjourned until Friday, March 7. It's unclear if there was one championship pennant that changed hands every time a new champion was crowned, or if the AFU had a new championship pennant for each season of competition.
At the first meeting of the 1888 season, held March 29 in the office of William H. Ford at No. 51 Liberty Street, a new league constitution was adopted to replace the one drafted at the second AFU meeting in 1887. The new constitution would not be as "loosely constructed" as its predecessor, and barred a common practice in the league of football players shifting from one athletic club to the next throughout the season to receive more game time. Captains of participating athletic clubs were also required to present a list of all of their players for the season. Representatives were present from the New York, Crescent, and Staten Island athletic clubs. An application for admission by the recently established Orange Athletic Club was tabled until the next meeting, held on 23 May.
With the Orange Athletic Club membership granted in May, the AFU was up to four members, and for the first time all members would stay in the Union for the entire season. On October 10 a list was released detailing the 1888 AFU schedule, a practice that had existed since 1887 but was not published in any public newspapers until then.
Crescent Athletic Club won the 1888 championship with a record identical to the 1887 season (6–0), and defeated the Orange Athletic Club in the AFU de facto championship on Thanksgiving to claim the pennant (which by now may have been called the Eagle Cup)
At its annual first meeting of the 1889 season, held at No. 241 Broadway, four institutions were represented, and were the same from the previous year. With President Clarence Smith away at Saratoga, vice-president William Ford would preside over the meeting, and at the AFU's annual election, he was named the new president of the Union. T. O. Spear of the Staten Island Athletic Club was elected the new vice-president, and C. T. Schlessinger of the New York athletic club was appointed to secretary and treasurer. The Union also decided to adopt the rules of the Intercollegiate Football Association, which at that time was the leading rule-making association and governing body of early football. The Flushing and Manhattan athletic clubs submitted applications for the union, but were denied on the grounds that the present members had already formed and did not need additional associations. Fifty dollars was put aside for the purchase of the season's championship pennant. Lastly, a full schedule for the season was adopted, with each athletic club playing each other twice, and each series taking place at either team's home fields.
On November 2, just before the start of the 2nd half of the AFU's conference schedule, the Staten Island Athletic Club decided to withdraw from the Union, on the grounds that the men who played were businessmen and could not find time to conduct their business and practice football at the same time. This would throw the schedule into disarray, as the Staten Island team left each of the remaining members without a game. Two options presented to fill the schedule were to completely revise it to reflect the current members or to accept the applications of the Flushing or Manhattan athletic club.
The Crescent Athletic Club repeated as Union champions for the third consecutive season, and did not allow a single point against a current AFU member for the second time in three years. The Crescent's AFU record was 6–0 (7–1 overall, with an 18–0 loss to Yale), and outscored their union opponents by a total of 196 to 0.
In the annual first meeting of the AFU, four congregations represented the league, including the Staten Island Athletic Club that had resigned the year prior. Unfortunately, the Staten Island team soon re-resigned, leaving only the New York, Crescent, and Orange Athletic Clubs. Manhattan Athletic Club applied for the Union, and were finally accepted, but were not allowed to compete in the league until the next season.
On November 8, the Crescent and Orange Athletic Clubs met at the Orange Oval in East Orange, NJ. The Crescents entered the game with a 17–0 record against AFU members since joining the Union for the 1887 season. They had also outscored their league opponents by a total of 422 to 9, and pitched fourteen shutouts. All streaks were broken when the Oranges successfully upset the three-time reigning AFU champion, 8 to 5.
In the championship game on December 7, a rematch of the Orange and Crescent Athletic Clubs was played. Due to new league rules, the regular season games would not play a part in the decision of AFU champion, meaning that even though the Oranges had already secured a win over the Crescents it was meaningless in relation to the championship game. The Crescent Athletic Club shut out the Orange 14 to 0 at Washington Park in Brooklyn, and secured their fourth consecutive AFU championship pennant.
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Warren Carlos Sapp is an American former professional football player who was a defensive tackle for 13 seasons in the National Football League, primarily with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He played college football for the Miami Hurricanes, winning the Lombardi Award, Bronko Nagurski Trophy, and Bill Willis Trophy as a junior. Sapp was selected by the Buccaneers in the first round of 1995 NFL draft. He spent nine seasons with the Buccaneers and was a member of the Oakland Raiders in his last four seasons. Since 2024, he has served as a graduate assistant for the Colorado Buffaloes.
With Tampa Bay, Sapp made seven Pro Bowl appearances, earned first-team All-Pro honors four times, and was part of the team that won the franchise's first Super Bowl title in Super Bowl XXXVII. He compiled 96.5 career sacks by the time of his retirement, which are the third-highest career sacks for a defensive tackle and the 28th-highest overall for a defensive lineman. His career, however, was also checkered by controversy from his hard-hitting style of play and occasional verbal outbursts. Along with Lee Roy Selmon and teammate Derrick Brooks, Sapp is one of three players to have their numbers retired by the Buccaneers. He was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2013.
Ahead of the 1995 NFL draft, Sapp ran the fastest time in the 40-yard dash for a defensive tackle (4.69 sec). Sapp was considered a potential top-five or -10 pick, but due to reports of multiple failed cocaine and marijuana tests released the night before the draft, many teams passed on him. He was ultimately selected 12th overall by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first round. The NFL released a statement strongly denying the rumors and Sapp believed an anonymous individual attempted to intentionally sabotage his draft chances.
Sapp was almost immediately given the starting job as the right defensive tackle, which he held for his entire nine-year stay in Tampa. He flourished in the Tampa 2 defense, which included teammates Derrick Brooks and John Lynch. With his devastating combination of size and speed, he was able to disrupt opposing offenses even when double- or triple-teamed on the line.
He finished his rookie season with 27 tackles and one interception, and continued to be a prolific tackler for the Buccaneers. He registered 51 tackles and nine sacks in 1996, and 58 tackles and 10.5 sacks in 1997. His Pro Bowl selection in 1997 was the first of seven straight. In 1998, he signed a contract extension paying him $36 million over six years. He was honored as NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 1999.
In 2002, the Bucs led the league in defense and won Super Bowl XXXVII over the Oakland Raiders. Sapp made five tackles and two sacks during that postseason.
On November 24, 2002, at Raymond James Stadium, Sapp was strongly criticized for a blindside hit on the Green Bay Packers' Chad Clifton. The hit occurred during a Buccaneers interception return, when Sapp hit Clifton as the latter was jogging downfield, away from the main action. The hit inflicted a severe pelvic injury and hospitalized Clifton for almost a week, after which he could not walk unaided for the next five weeks. In 2005, the NFL Competition Committee agreed on new guidelines for "unnecessary roughness", making hits such as Sapp's on Clifton illegal.
In an exchange caught by television cameras following the game, Packers coach Mike Sherman approached Sapp and said to him, "That was a chickenshit play." In response, Sapp screamed at Sherman: "You talk tough? Put a jersey on!" Sapp later called Sherman "a lying, shit-eating hound. ... If I was 25 years old and didn't have a kid and a conscience, I would have given him an ass kicking right there at the 30-yard line." Sherman later added, "The joviality that existed after [the hit] when a guy's lying on the ground, with numbness in his legs and fingers, I just thought that wasn't appropriate for any NFL player."
During pregame warmups for the December 23, 2002 Monday Night Football game at Raymond James Stadium, Sapp skipped among the Pittsburgh Steelers as they warmed up. Steelers running back Jerome Bettis shoved him, touching off a heated argument between the two teams. Sapp was not fined for the incident, but it added to his controversial image, and he felt he had been made an example by the NFL by being fined for a second Monday-night skipping incident (described below). "That's all this is about," said Sapp. "In my nine years in this league, no one's been fined for verbally abusing officials. It's unprecedented." The Buccaneers had been earlier ridiculed by Steelers' Lee Flowers as being "paper champions".
In 2003, during a Monday Night Football game against the Indianapolis Colts on October 6, Sapp was scolded for skipping through and disrupting the Colts, who were spread out on the field stretching during warmups. Much anticipation and national interest going into the game had been generated by the return of former head coach Tony Dungy to Tampa. The Colts wound up erasing a 21-point deficit in the final four minutes and defeating the Buccaneers 38–35 in overtime, sending the defending champions into a downslide.
The next Sunday, October 12, 2003, before the Buccaneers took on the Washington Redskins, Sapp, while running onto the field, bumped into an NFL referee and drew a $50,000 fine. His response: "It's a slave system. Make no mistake about it. Slavemaster say you can't do it, don't do it. They'll make an example out of you."
In 2004, Sapp was reportedly interested in accepting a contract offer from the Cincinnati Bengals for four years worth $16 million, but on March 20, he announced he had agreed to terms on a seven-year, $36.6 million contract with the Oakland Raiders, the same team he had helped rout in the Super Bowl in early 2003.
He started all 16 games in his first season in Oakland, splitting time at defensive end and defensive tackle, recording 30 tackles (18 solo) and 2.5 sacks and recovering two fumbles after having lost an estimated 20 pounds before joining the Raiders for the 2004 season.
His 2005 season got off to a great beginning back in his familiar defensive tackle position. He started the first 10 games of the season with 29 tackles (26 of them solo), and finished second on the team to Derrick Burgess with five sacks before being sidelined for the last six games of 2005 with a shoulder injury.
He returned to his All-Pro form in 2006. He had 10 sacks to go along with 32 tackles (16 solo) and one forced fumble.
He lost 49 pounds before the 2007 season, and recorded 37 tackles (24 solo), two sacks, and two forced fumbles.
On December 23, 2007, Sapp got ejected after an altercation with the officials near the end of the second quarter of the Raiders' game at Jacksonville. The incident began when linesman Jerry Bergman mistakenly assumed that the Raiders would decline a 10-yard Jaguar penalty. Sapp, the defensive captain, shot back at referee Jerome Boger that the Raiders wanted to accept the penalty. The conversation became heated, with Sapp gesturing and swearing, provoking Boger to flag him for unsportsmanlike conduct, but Sapp and the rest of the Raider defense continued to mouth off at the officials, resulting in a second unsportsmanlike against Sapp and a third unsportsmanlike against teammate Derrick Burgess. Finally, the coaches ran onto the field, and along with the officials, began physically separating the disgruntled players. Boger claimed that Sapp had "bumped" him in the process, while Sapp denied any physical contact. In any event, Boger then levied a third unsportsmanlike conduct penalty against Sapp (fourth against the team) and ejected him. The league eventually fined him $75,000, and Burgess $25,000 (i.e., $25,000 for each unsportsmanlike penalty).
On January 3, 2008, Sapp told Raider owner Al Davis over the phone that he would retire and confirmed this on his website, qbkilla.com, in just two words: "I'M DONE!" The retirement became official on March 4, 2008.
At the time of his retirement, Sapp was one of only 12 defensive players in NFL history to make the Pro Bowl, be named Defensive Player of the Year, and win a Super Bowl or pre-Super Bowl NFL title. The others are Mean Joe Greene, Jack Lambert, Mel Blount, Lester Hayes, Mike Singletary, Lawrence Taylor, Bob Sanders, Deion Sanders, Reggie White, Ray Lewis, Rod Woodson, and Sapp's former teammate, Derrick Brooks. Michael Strahan, James Harrison, Ed Reed, Troy Polamalu, Charles Woodson, Terrell Suggs, Stephon Gilmore, and Aaron Donald have since joined the list. He is now considered to be the prototype three-technique defensive tackle, and ever since his retirement, NFL teams scouting defensive tackles have reportedly been looking for a "Baby Sapp". He was selected to seven Pro Bowls, was named a first-team All-Pro four times, a second-team All-Pro twice, voted to the 1990s and 2000s All-Decade Teams, and earned Defensive Player of the Year honors after a 12.5-sack season in 1999.
In January 1998, Sapp married Jamiko Vaughn. They divorced in 2007. The couple has two children, daughter Mercedes in 1998 and son Warren Sapp II in 2000.
In 2023, Sapp graduated from Texas Seminary Christian University with a bachelor of arts in Christian sports management. The degree allowed him to work as a Colorado Buffaloes football staff member.
Sapp, Devin Bush, and a developer created an Urban Solutions Group in 2006 to construct low-income housing in Fort Pierce, Florida. The PNC Bank lent the group money, but by 2008, the real-estate market tanked and the project ended in failure.
On August 19, 2008, Sapp was hired as a studio analyst for Inside the NFL on Showtime, a position he held until 2011.
In the fall of 2008, Sapp appeared as a contestant on the seventh season of Dancing with the Stars.[28] Sapp's partner for the competition was professional dancer Kym Johnson; the pair made it to the finals, where they were eventually named runner-up of season seven.
He made his stand-up comedy debut at the Comedy Central Roast of Larry the Cable Guy on March 16, 2009.
He worked for NFL Network as an analyst featured on NFL Total Access and NFL GameDay Morning until he was fired in 2015 following his arrest for solicitation. In the summer of 2012, he released a book titled Sapp Attack through St. Martins Publishing.
In June 2012, Sapp teamed up with the Network of Champions (NOC), a YouTube premium content channel, to produce a TV show series called Judge Sapp. He also participated in Fox's dating game show The Choice.
In January 2013, Sapp worked with Dr. Jonathan Greenburg to raise awareness about the importance of getting tested and treated for snoring and obstructive sleep apnea.
He was also a celebrity judge on the second season of the reality show BBQ Pitmasters.
On July 27, 2016, Sapp was bitten by a shark while lobstering off the coast of Florida.
In October 2020, the internet sportsbook BetUS announced Warren Sapp and Brian Jones as the hosts of the weekly podcast "BetUS Unfiltered". Sapp and Jones have interviewed celebrities such as Derrick Johnson, Adam Schefter, Ray Lewis, Kevin Carter, Rick Neuheisel, and Jen Welter on the podcast.
On February 7, 2010, Sapp was arrested in South Florida and charged with domestic battery while in Florida as an analyst for the NFL Network's coverage of Super Bowl XLIV, but following the arrest, the NFL Network cancelled his appearance. On March 24, however, the charges against Sapp were dropped.
On February 2, 2015, the day after Super Bowl XLIX, Sapp was arrested on suspicion of soliciting a prostitute and assault. Later that day, Sapp's contract was terminated by the NFL Network. In May 2015, the charges were dismissed.
In 2010, PNC Bank was awarded a judgment of $988,691.99, and in December 2011, filed a monthly lien of $33,333 against Sapp's $45,000 NFL Network paycheck. He also owed the Internal Revenue Service $853,003 from income in 2006 and $89,775 for 2010. He was $876,000 behind on alimony and child support for his former spouse, owed $68,738 for unpaid property taxes in Windermere, and owed money to attorneys, friends, and a speech therapist, as well.
On April 7, 2012, the Associated Press reported that Sapp had filed for bankruptcy in an effort to discharge debt from failed businesses. In these Chapter 7 filings, he claimed to have lost his University of Miami championship rings and his Buccaneers Super Bowl ring. The balances in his checking and savings accounts were said to be less than $1,000. He claimed no credit card debt and owned no automobiles, but owed National Car Rental $90,685 through his business, Nine-Nine, LLC. Court filings indicated Sapp's assets totaled $6.45 million against a debt of $6.7 million. His monthly income was reported as $115,861. On November 1, 2012, Sapp's 10,000-square-foot (930 m2) house in Windermere was auctioned off for $2.9 million.
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Richard David Robinson is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League. He played college football for the Penn State Nittany Lions and professionally for the Green Bay Packers and the Washington Redskins. Robinson was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1997 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2013.
Robinson made his NFL debut on September 15, 1963, against the Chicago Bears. The Packers decided to move Robinson from defensive end to linebacker. After backing up incumbent Dan Currie during his rookie season, Robinson became the starting left side linebacker for the Packers and remained in that role through 1972. Alongside the immortal MLB Ray Nitschke and Pro Bowler Lee Roy Caffey, the three formed one of the best starting units of linebackers in NFL history. Robinson was not only adept at defending the run but also against the pass. He intercepted 21 passes as a Packer, including five in 1966, which tied cornerback Bob Jeter for the team lead. Robinson played on two Super Bowl Championship teams, and won a total of three NFL titles with the Packers (1965, 1966, 1967). During that time, he developed a reputation as a big-game player. Perhaps the most notable example came in the 1966 NFL Championship game against the Dallas Cowboys. On a fourth down play from the Packers' two-yard-line, Robinson pressured Cowboys quarterback Don Meredith into a desperation pass that was intercepted by safety Tom Brown in the end zone, preserving a 34–27 victory by the Packers. Despite this, Vince Lombardi, the future Hall of Fame head coach of the Packers, was not pleased that Robinson had freelanced on the play and gave him the coach's lowest grade possible, a minus two. However, Lombardi would later privately praise Robinson for making the game-winning play.
After Lombardi's retirement as Packers' head coach following Super Bowl II, the aging team went into a period of decline under new coach (and former defensive coordinator) Phil Bengtson. Individually, Robinson continued to shine. He was named 1st Team All-Pro by the NEA and UPI in 1968. In 1969, he was again named 1st Team All-Pro by the NEA and UPI and was also chosen for the 1st Teams of the New York Daily News, PFW and The Sporting News. Robinson suffered a setback during the 1970 season when he tore his Achilles tendon, but was ready for the start of the 1971 season. By then, Bengtson had been replaced as Packers' head coach by Dan Devine. Robinson did not get along with Devine and would later state that, while he felt that Vince Lombardi was the best coach he ever played for, Devine was his worst coach at any level: high school, college, or pros. Although the team rebounded from a 4–8–2 record in Devine's first season to finish 10–4 and win the NFC Central Divisional title, the 1972 season would be Robinson's last in a Packers uniform.
Robinson concluded his career with the Washington Redskins in 1973 and 1974, playing under another future Hall of Fame head coach in George Allen. He later stated that he was fine with the trade to the Redskins because there was no way that he would play for Devine anymore. Robinson continued his high level of play in D.C., intercepting four passes during his first season with the Redskins. On October 14, 1973, Robinson returned one of those four interceptions 28 yards for the only touchdown of his career during a 21–3 Redskins win over the New York Giants. Robinson retired from the NFL in August 1975 after a career of twelve professional seasons. He finished his career with 27 interceptions for return yardage totaling 449 and the one aforementioned touchdown. He also recovered 12 fumbles. Robinson was named to three Pro Bowls in 1966, 1967, and 1969 and was selected for one of the linebacker spots on the NFL's all-decade team for the 1960s. In 1982, he was inducted into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame. In 2004, he was named to the Professional Football Researchers Association Hall of Very Good in the association's second HOVG class.
Robinson has pursued many different endeavors since retiring as an NFL player. During his career, he had worked in the off-season as an engineer at Campbell's Soup in Camden, New Jersey through 1967 and then for Schlitz Brewery in Milwaukee. He then worked full-time with Schlitz upon his retirement from pro football. In April 1984, he started his own beer distributorship in Akron, Ohio until semi-retiring in 2001. He then worked in sales for an artificial turf company before officially retiring in 2006. Robinson was also a member of the board of directors for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Robinson was the sixth Nittany Lion in history of the program to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Robinson and Royce Boyles co-authored The Lombardi Legacy: Thirty People Who Were Touched By Greatness. In 2009, the second edition of the book was published by Goose Creek Publishers.
In addition to being a member of the College Football and Gator Bowl Halls of Fame, Robinson was also inducted into the Packers Hall of Fame in February 1982.
Robinson was elected as part of the 2013 class for the Pro Football Hall of Fame on February 2, 2013.
With his election, Robinson became the 12th member of Vince Lombardi's championship Green Bay Packers, including Lombardi himself, to be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was also the sixth Penn State Nittany Lion to be honored in the Professional Football Hall of Fame in Canton, joining Jack Ham, Franco Harris, Mike Michalske, Lenny Moore and Mike Munchak.
In 2011, Robinson was faced with a different struggle in his life. He was told that he may have pancreatic cancer which is 98% deadly. He said "I had a brother die of pancreatic cancer. I know the odds of pancreatic cancer. I went home and started making plans for my demise." After his doctors appointment, Robinson received the news that he did not have pancreatic cancer; however he did have colon cancer and 80% blockage of one of his major arteries. But, after two months spending a lot of time in the hospital, the doctors gave Robinson news that he was cancer free and did not have to receive chemotherapy. After going through this life altering time, Robinson told reporters, "I am here for a purpose."
In September 2013, Moorestown High School retired Robinson's old jersey, number 89. This made Robinson the only Moorestown player to ever receive such an honor.
Sources https://www.pro-football-reference.com/ https://www.profootballarchives.com/index.html https://americanfootballdatabase.fandom.com/wiki/Football_Wiki https://www.gridiron-uniforms.com/GUD/controller/controller.php?action=main https://www.profootballhof.com/hall-of-famers/ Dave Robinson's Pro Football Hall of Fame page Dave Robinson's Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinement speech (Note- The transcription has two errors in the fifth paragraph: Moorestown is misspelled Morristown and Dick Loring is misspelled Dick Lauren.) Picken, Barbara and Gail Greenberg (1972) His high school football team went undefeated for the first time in the team's history in 1957. http://www.pennlive.com/sports/index.ssf/2013/08/dave_robinson_calls_penn_state.html "Dave Robinson at the Hula Bowl which honored him as a Penn State senior in the late 1950s. Robinson was an All-American at Penn State and became a defensive end for the Green Bay Packers. He is the son of Mrs. Mary Robinson." Carison, Chuck (2004). Game of my life: 25 stories of Packers football. Sports Publishing ISBN 1-58261-814-3, p.122: "Hometown: Mount Laurel, New Jersey" Offord, Jeff. "Last unbeaten Moorestown team looks back", Burlington County Times, December 2, 2007. Accessed September 21, 2011. "And when you play for a football team that finishes 9–0 and wins the South Jersey Group 3 championship, the memories are rich.... Robinson ended up getting a football scholarship from Penn State, where he played under Rip Engle and Joe Paterno. He later played for Vince Lombardi and the Green Bay Packers, being named to three Pro Bowls and starting on two Super Bowl championship teams." South Jersey Basketball Hall of Fame "DAVE ROBINSON One of the finest all-around athletes ever produced in South Jersey. The Moorestown High graduate was a standout in football, track and basketball in high school. He was a dominant inside player for Hall of Fame coach Pete Monska on teams that went unbeaten and won State Group 3 championships in 1958 and 1959. He was a steady scorer for the Quakers but his main contribution was his outstanding rebounding and defensive ability. In college, he opted for football where he was a two-way player at Penn State under fabled coach Rip Engle. He earned All-American honors at Penn State and in 1997 he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. He was a first round draft choice of the Green Bay Packers and became an integral member of Vince Lombardi's teams that captured the 1965 NFL championship and Super Bowls I and II. He was named All Pro three times from 1963 to 1972." Accessed September 21, 2011. White, Matt. "Ex-moorestown Lineman Selected By College Hall". The Inquirer. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. College Football Hall of Fame profile "Dave Robinson Profile – Penn State Official Athletic Site". Archived from the original on November 10, 2013. Retrieved November 6, 2013. "Dave Robinson set for Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinement | Penn State University". "Dave Robinson (1997)". National Football Foundation. December 10, 2024. Retrieved July 6, 2025. "Dave Robinson set for Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinement | Penn State University". Dave Robinson "An Unsung Hero". JSOnline.com – Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved August 16, 2010. "Dave Robinson Stats". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Riddell Presents: The Gridiron's Greatest Linebackers "Hall of Famers". Christl, Cliff. "Dave Robinson". Packers.com. Archived from the original on May 24, 2023. Retrieved September 20, 2023. "Hall of Very Good". Archived from the original on October 5, 2016. Retrieved July 13, 2016. Hockensmith, Dustin (August 5, 2013). "Dave Robinson calls Penn State 'one of the biggest things of my life' in Hall of Fame speech: watch video". pennlive. Retrieved December 14, 2024. "Culp and Robinson named 2013 senior nominees". Pro Football Hall of Fame. August 22, 2011. Archived from the original on January 4, 2013. Retrieved August 22, 2012. "Penn State football: Nittany Lion great Dave Robinson enters Pro Football Hall of Fame". Associated Press. August 3, 2013. Archived from the original on September 3, 2013. Retrieved September 9, 2023. "Green Bay Packers Legend Dave Robinson Reflects on life, career". Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved November 10, 2013. Scott, Rob (September 13, 2013). "Moorestown, NFL Great Dave Robinson Honored at Home Opener". Retrieved November 11, 2013.
Duane Charles "Bill" Parcells is an American former football coach who served as a head coach in the National Football League for 19 seasons. He came to prominence as the head coach of the New York Giants from 1983 to 1990, winning two Super Bowl titles. Parcells was later the head coach of the New England Patriots from 1993 to 1996, the New York Jets from 1997 to 2000, and the Dallas Cowboys from 2003 to 2006. Nicknamed "the Big Tuna", he is the only NFL coach to lead four different franchises to the playoffs and three to a conference championship game.
As the head coach of the Giants, Parcells took over a franchise that had qualified for the playoffs only once in the past decade and had only one winning record in their last 10 seasons. Within four years, he guided them to their first Super Bowl title and won a second championship in Super Bowl XXV four years later. Parcells retired following the second Super Bowl, but came out of retirement in 1993 to become the head coach of the Patriots, another struggling franchise at the time. By his fourth season, New England reached Super Bowl XXXI, although the game ended in defeat. He left the Patriots after their Super Bowl loss and became the head coach and general manager of the Jets, who went from a one-win season to appearing in the AFC Championship Game by his second year.
Parcells retired for a second time in 1999, but returned again in 2003 as the head coach of the Cowboys. The Cowboys made two playoff appearances under Parcells, although both ended in first-round defeats, leading to his third and final retirement in 2007. Following his final retirement from coaching, Parcells served as the vice president of football operations for the Miami Dolphins from 2008 to 2010. He was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2013.
Upon graduating from high school, Parcells arrived at Colgate University. As a freshman, he was offered a contract by the Philadelphia Phillies. His father disapproved of a career in sports and wanted him to study law, so the younger Parcells declined the offer. He soon transferred to the University of Wichita (now known as Wichita State University), where he played linebacker and earned a physical education degree. It was here that Parcells' famous nickname "Big Tuna" took hold. The name itself is a mis-statement of his actual nickname "Tuner". There were few radio stations in Wichita at the time, so players often trained without music. Parcells, showing the kind of preparation that would make him a successful coach later, frequently arrived early to training sessions, in order to set up a radio. Parcells would try several locations in the gym to get a signal. His diligence and attention to detail earned him the nickname "Tuner". This subsequently became "Tuna", likely due to the accents of the New York media who covered the Giants.
He was drafted in the seventh round (89th overall) by the Detroit Lions as an offensive lineman, but was released by the team before playing a single NFL game after he reportedly quit the team after a hot morning workout.
At the conclusion of his playing days, Parcells took a close look at his future. He was considering attending law school or becoming a franchise owner for Pizza Hut, where he had worked in college. Instead, he chose to pursue a career in football. He began as an assistant coach at Hastings (1964) before moving on to Wichita State (1965), Army (1966–69), Florida State (1970–72), Vanderbilt (1973–74), and Texas Tech (1975–77). In 1978, he became the head coach at the Air Force Academy for one season.
While serving as linebackers coach at Army, Parcells was also a part-time assistant basketball coach for Bob Knight during the 1966–67 season, which led to their longtime friendship.
In 1979, Parcells accepted an offer to become the defensive coordinator of the New York Giants under head coach Ray Perkins. However, when his family wanted to stay in Colorado, he resigned and took a job with a land development company in Colorado. While living in Colorado, Parcells became a season ticket holder with the Denver Broncos. Parcells called it the most miserable year of his life.
Feeling dissatisfied with his life away from football, Parcells returned to the sport in 1980 as the linebackers coach of the New England Patriots under Ron Erhardt. It was during this stint with the Patriots that Parcells adopted his "Big Tuna" nickname. Whenever he thought his players were trying to get away with something, Parcells would yell "Who do you think I am? Charlie the Tuna?," referencing a StarKist commercial of the era featuring a naive cartoon fish named, "Charlie the Tuna."
The following season, Parcells was approached once again by Perkins to join the Giants' staff as an assistant coach, and Parcells accepted the offer. As defensive coordinator and linebackers coach, he was allowed to change the team's 4–3 defense to a 3–4 system. When Perkins announced on December 15, 1982, that he was leaving the Giants at the end of the season to become head coach and athletic director at the University of Alabama, the Giants announced that Parcells would succeed him as head coach.
When Parcells took over in 1983, the team had posted just one winning season in the previous ten years. In his first year, he made a controversial decision to bench Phil Simms in favor of Scott Brunner due to Brunner's success in leading the Giants to the 1981 post-season. Also, Simms had missed the entire 1982 season in addition to the latter part of 1981 due to injury. Brunner struggled and Parcells went back to Simms in week 6, but Simms broke his thumb and missed the rest of 1983. The result was a disastrous 3–12–1 season during which the Giants surreptitiously offered Parcells' job to University of Miami head coach Howard Schnellenberger after a week 14 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals; however, Schnellenberger declined, and Parcells remained as head coach.
After this dismal first season, Parcells made a finally healthy Simms the starter again for 1984 and replaced half the roster. The team's record improved to 9–7 and 10–6 over the next two years, and earned them their first back-to-back playoff appearances since 1961–1963. In 1986, he led the Giants to the first of two Super Bowls. In the 1986 season, the Giants compiled a franchise-best 14–2 record and the first of three division titles. Parcells, whose stifling 3–4 defense (known as the Big Blue Wrecking Crew) led by Lawrence Taylor, Carl Banks, Harry Carson, and Leonard Marshall, and an offense under the direction of Phil Simms, knocked off the San Francisco 49ers 49–3, and the Washington Redskins 17–0, in the playoffs before routing the Denver Broncos 39–20 in Super Bowl XXI. Parcells is credited as the first coach to be doused with Gatorade at the end of a Super Bowl, which led to a Super Bowl tradition. While there are some claims that Chicago Bears coach Mike Ditka had been doused a year earlier, NFL Films president Steve Sabol has stated that he can find no evidence to support it in any footage he has reviewed and that he believes the tradition started with Parcells and Jim Burt.
Following the Super Bowl win, Parcells was courted by the Atlanta Falcons to become the head coach and general manager of the franchise. However, NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle would not allow Parcells to break his contract with the Giants and he stayed in New York.[
Parcells led the Giants to a second Super Bowl in 1990. The Giants began the 1990 season 10–0, but lost Phil Simms to injury late in the season and finished 13–3. Playing with a back-up quarterback in Jeff Hostetler and a 33-year-old veteran running back in Ottis Anderson, the Giants convincingly defeated the Chicago Bears in the divisional playoff, 31–3. They followed that up with a dramatic, come-from-behind fashion over San Francisco, 15–13, in the NFC Championship game on a last-second 42-yard field goal by Matt Bahr, set up by a Roger Craig fumble caused by nose tackle Erik Howard. Super Bowl XXV proved equally exciting as the Giants used tough defense and a ball-control and power-running Erhardt – Perkins style offense to stop the Buffalo Bills, 20–19, whose own last-second 47-yard field goal attempt by Scott Norwood missed wide right. Parcells retired from football after Super Bowl XXV due to health problems.
During his coaching tenure, the Giants secured three division titles (1986, 1989, 1990), had only two losing seasons (the Giants went 6–9 during the strike year of 1987), and tallied an 8–3 playoff record. Parcells, along with former Giants head coach Tom Coughlin, both made the NFL playoffs five times as Giants head coach, and the two Super Bowl titles they each won with the Giants occurred in their fourth and eighth seasons with the franchise, respectively.
Following retirement, Parcells spent time as a football analyst for NBC Sports from 1991 to 1992, working as a commentator. He also co-hosted a local sports show in New York with Mike Francesa called Around the NFL.
In 1992, Parcells made a handshake agreement to become head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. At the last minute, Parcells opted not to take the job. Parcells did not feel the situation was right for him at that time. Buccaneers owner Hugh Culverhouse said, "I feel like I've been jilted at the altar."
Parcells was also offered by his friend Ron Wolf the opportunity to become the new head coach of the Green Bay Packers in 1992, but Parcells declined, saying that he needed open heart surgery. The job instead went to Mike Holmgren, who would later coach against Parcells in Super Bowl XXXI.
After a two-year hiatus, Parcells returned to the NFL in 1993 as the head coach for the struggling New England Patriots, who were fresh off of a 2–14 record in 1992. Within two years, he coached the team to a 10–6 record in 1994 and its first playoff game in eight years. In 1996, he guided the Patriots to their first division title in 11 years, and only the second and third home playoff games in franchise history. The Patriots went all the way to Super Bowl XXXI, but lost to the Green Bay Packers, 35–21, in New Orleans.
Parcells left the Patriots after disagreements with owner Robert Kraft, who had bought the team in early 1994, after Parcells' first year as head coach. Parcells had effectively been the team's general manager since arriving in New England, but felt Kraft would not allow him enough input in player personnel decisions. Upon his departure, Parcells famously stated: "They want you to cook the dinner; at least they ought to let you shop for some of the groceries. Okay?" This was mainly in reference to an incident in the Patriots' war room during the 1996 draft. Parcells wanted to draft defensive end Tony Brackens with their first-round choice, but was vetoed by Kraft. They ultimately selected Ohio State wide receiver Terry Glenn.
Although Parcells had decided to leave New England, his contract did not allow him to coach anywhere else.
The Giants seriously considered offering him his old job as head coach of their organization, but in a dramatic behind-the-scenes event ended up offering the job to Jim Fassel instead.
The New York Jets sought Parcells as head coach and general manager after a 4–28 record under Rich Kotite. To circumvent Parcells' contractual obligations, the Jets hired Bill Belichick (then the No. 1 assistant to Parcells) as the Jets coach, and then hired Parcells in an "advisory" role. New England threatened legal action against Parcells and the Jets, but NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue brokered a deal between the two sides, with New England releasing Parcells from his contract and the Jets giving New England a third- and fourth-round pick that year, a second-round pick the next year and a first-round draft choice the year after that. Jets owner Leon Hess gave Parcells complete control over football operations, the main sticking point in his dispute with Kraft.
Parcells again orchestrated a remarkable turnaround in his first year with the Jets. In his first season with the Jets, the team barely missed the playoffs with a record of 9–7 (the Jets were 1–15 the year before Parcells arrived, and had won a total of 10 games in the previous three seasons combined). In 1998, the Jets went to the playoffs with a current franchise-best 12–4 record, which was good enough for second place in the conference and earned the Jets their third home playoff game since moving to New Jersey in 1984 (their first home playoff game was against the New England Patriots following the 1985 season), but they lost to the eventual Super Bowl XXXIII champion Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship Game, in which New York had led 10–0 in the third quarter before Denver scored 23 unanswered points. It was the only time Parcells lost a conference championship game.
In 1999, expectations were high for the Jets to go to the Super Bowl. However, quarterback Vinny Testaverde ruptured his Achilles tendon in the Jets' home opener against the New England Patriots and the season went downhill from there. After starting the season 1–6, the Jets won three straight and faced the Indianapolis Colts. Parcells emphasized the importance of not obtaining a "7th loss" but they did lose to the Colts and then to the New York Giants the following week. At 4–8, the Jets were in danger of finishing below .500. The Jets would finish 8–8, but out of the playoffs. In 1999, Parcells retired from football for the second time, vowing that he would not coach again. He picked his assistant Bill Belichick to be head coach, which ended up seeing him resign in favor of Al Groh. Parcells remained with the Jets one more year as general manager until he announced his resignation on January 9, 2001. To date, he is the only Jets coach to leave the team with a winning record after coaching at least two seasons.
Following three straight 5–11 seasons, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones lured Parcells out of retirement and made him the head coach in 2003.
Always known for deploying psychological tactics and strategies to get the most from his players, Parcells mandated upon his arrival in 2003 that to have the Cowboys star placed on the helmet was a privilege reserved for players that had made the team, not a right, and informed all rookies that regardless of their draft position, it was incumbent upon them to "earn the star." Jones enthusiastically embraced the idea, and supported Parcells' decision to have Cowboys equipment managers remove all of the star logos from rookie helmets. Since then, all drafted and UFA (undrafted free agent) rookies that report to the Cowboys must officially make the roster before having the star logo permanently placed on their helmet.
The practice of "earning the star" has become a permanent fixture of Cowboys tradition, with all of Parcells' successors adopting the practice. As social media emerged, #EarnTheStar and #EarningTheStar became popular Twitter hashtags for Cowboys fans and players.
In his first season with the Cowboys in 2003, he led them to the playoffs with a 10–6 record (losing to the eventual NFC champion Carolina Panthers in the Wild Card round), making him the first head coach in NFL history to guide four teams to the playoffs.
The 2004 season was one of turmoil. Starting quarterback Quincy Carter was terminated for alleged drug use in favor of 40-year-old veteran Vinny Testaverde, who had been brought to the Cowboys from the New York Jets by his former coach in the off-season. While a favorite of Coach Parcells, Testaverde proved ineffective as a starter. The Cowboys started strong, with victories against the Cleveland Browns and Washington Redskins, but injuries, older personnel, spotty play-calling, and persistent penalties hobbled the Cowboys, and they quickly fell off to a 3–5 record by midseason, finishing the season 6–10.
The Cowboys improved their defense before the 2005 season with the additions of first-round draft picks DeMarcus Ware and Marcus Spears. Parcells drafted these players in hopes of jumpstarting the team's transition from the traditional 4–3 defense to a 3–4 defense, which Parcells ran in all of his previous stops. Jerry Jones also added a number of high-priced older veteran players, acquiring nose tackle Jason Ferguson and cornerback Anthony Henry via free agency, and linebacker Scott Fujita via the Kansas City Chiefs. On offense, the Cowboys felt the need to upgrade their passing game to complement their top 2004 draft pick, running back Julius Jones, and acquired quarterback Drew Bledsoe via free agency. During his tenure, Parcells made a point of signing players who had played for him in the past, including Bledsoe, Terry Glenn (with the Patriots), Testaverde, cornerback Aaron Glenn, wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson, and fullback Richie Anderson with the Jets. In 2005, the Cowboys went 9–7, missing the playoffs by one game.
In 2006, the Cowboys signed controversial former Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Terrell Owens. Keyshawn Johnson was released and signed with the Carolina Panthers. Owens, whom Parcells never referred to by name, but rather as "The Player", was fairly successful with the team. In week 7 of the 2006 season, Parcells decided to replace veteran quarterback Drew Bledsoe with fourth-year quarterback Tony Romo. The Cowboys were 6–4 with Romo as the starter. They finished the season with a 9–7 overall record but failed to win the NFC East Division after a 23–7 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Christmas Day in week 16, followed by a loss to the last-place team in the NFC North, the Detroit Lions in week 17. They were able to clinch a playoff berth as the 5th seed in the NFC, eventually losing 21–20 against the Seahawks in Seattle on January 6, on a botched hold by Tony Romo during a field goal attempt.
Parcells would finish his Dallas stint with a 34–30 record and no playoff wins. Parcells' greatest accomplishment as Cowboys head coach was the development of quarterback Tony Romo. He signed Romo in 2003 and helped him develop into a Pro Bowl quarterback by 2006.
Parcells would have entered the final year of his contract with the Cowboys in 2007, and had been facing questions all year as to whether he would return to the Cowboys to coach his final season. With his 0–2 playoff record over four years as coach of Dallas, many had begun to wonder if the game had simply "passed him by." Immediately following the Cowboys' loss to the Seattle Seahawks, Parcells said that he was unsure if he would return in 2007, and the rumors about Parcells' future escalated.
On January 9, the Newark Star Ledger reported through anonymous sources that Parcells had contacted the New York Giants about their available general manager position, but the Giants were not interested in Parcells' services. Parcells, the next day, quickly refuted any interest in the position, stating, "There is absolutely nothing to it. Whoever said it is a liar."
On January 22, 2007, he announced his retirement as head coach of the Cowboys after 4 years, apparently ending his coaching career.
Evidently, there are still questions as to his specific reasons for leaving the game. There were even reports that Parcells had been holding out for more money, and that Cowboys owner Jerry Jones simply did not think Parcells' performance was worth the money he was demanding for the upcoming season.
After retiring from coaching, Parcells became a studio analyst for ESPN. This was his fourth stint with ESPN, having worked there before accepting the job in Dallas, where he coached both the Dallas Cowboys and a little league team for charity. It was rumored that ESPN offered him a position on Monday Night Football, but Parcells declined the opportunity. (It is also worth noting that ESPN still held a contract with Parcells as a broadcaster even when he coached the Cowboys.)
On December 19, 2007, the Miami Herald reported that Parcells had agreed to become the new executive vice president of football operations of the Miami Dolphins. ESPN reported the following day that he signed a four-year contract. Just a day prior, reports linking Parcells to the Atlanta Falcons' position of vice president of football operations were leaked. However, the following day the Falcons formally announced that Parcells had turned down the offer because of discussions with Miami.
In the first season as executive vice president of football operations, Parcells fired head coach Cam Cameron, general manager Randy Mueller, along with a few assistant coaches, after a 1–15 finish in the 2007 season. With vacancies at the general manager and head coaching spots, he brought in Jeff Ireland to be the general manager and signed Tony Sparano as head coach.
The new front office under Parcells then signed over 20 little-known players in the free-agent market.
In the 2008 draft, they drafted offensive tackle Jake Long with the No. 1 overall pick, along with Phillip Merling, Kendall Langford, Chad Henne, Lex Hilliard, and Donald Thomas. They also signed undrafted free agents Dan Carpenter and Davone Bess.
They also released fan favorite Zach Thomas, who would end up signing with the Dallas Cowboys, and traded star defensive end Jason Taylor to the Washington Redskins for a second-round pick in the 2009 draft.
The Dolphins then went on to sign quarterback Chad Pennington (drafted by Parcells in his Jets days), who was cut by the Jets to make room for Brett Favre.
The Dolphins finished the 2008 season 11–5 and became AFC East champions when Pennington and the Dolphins defeated Favre and the Jets in the final game of the season. They finished with a 10-game improvement from the previous season, making the Dolphins one of two teams in NFL history to accomplish a 10-game turnaround, the other being the 1999 Indianapolis Colts. It was also the first time since 2001 that the Dolphins made the playoffs. However, they were routed in the first round by the Baltimore Ravens, 27–9.
Parcells left the Dolphins in 2010.
On February 12, 2014, Parcells was reportedly interviewed by the Cleveland Browns in an executive capacity, but the two sides could not come to a deal. However, on March 6, 2014, Pro Football Hall of Fame executive Gil Brandt reported Parcells had met with Browns owner Jimmy Haslam as a courtesy consultant. Brandt made another tweet stating that Parcells met with Teddy Bridgewater for 4+1⁄2 hours, leading many to speculate his role with the Browns was as a draft consultant for the front office on the incoming quarterback class leading into the 2014 NFL draft. But when the media contacted the Browns directly, the team denied these rumors.
In an interview with The Plain Dealer, Jimmy Haslam squashed any rumor that Parcells would be joining the front office, saying, "...Bill's not going to come work for us, okay? I know that's what everyone's angling at, but there's other people that we talk to too who are knowledgeable in football that will share that too. Somehow the Parcells information just happened to hit the radar screen." Haslam also mentioned that his and Parcells's advisory relationship began in 2013 when Parcells gave some suggestions for their head coaching search.
Since 2014, Parcells has on occasion given advice to the Browns, such as in 2017 when Parcells gave his endorsement to hiring John Dorsey as their new general manager, and in 2018 when he was given the same role as in 2014 by consulting the Browns front office in searching for their next franchise quarterback in the 2018 NFL draft.
Parcells was married to Judith Goss from 1962 until their divorce in 2002. The couple, who married when both were still undergraduates at Wichita State, had three daughters, Suzy, Dallas, and Jill. Parcells's son-in-law through his daughter Dallas is football executive Scott Pioli, who won three Super Bowls as an executive with the New England Patriots.
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Litsky, Frank (January 19, 1987). "Super Bowl XXI: The Giants vs. the Broncos; the Two Sides of Bill Parcells". The New York Times. Retrieved May 8, 2020. Bill is his nickname. His real name is Duane Charles Parcells, but once he became a teenager only his mother called him Duane. He was raised in Hasbrouck Heights, N.J., and everyone knew him as Duane except his fourth-grade teacher. She used to say, 'Duane Parcells, is she here?'
""Young Bill usually got his way, even when it came to unofficially changing his birth name, Duane Charles, which Doug said his brother "always hated.' Assigned to a new school, River Dell High, in his sophomore year, he found that students confused him with a boy named Bill. So Parcells adopted the name and made it stick."".
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http://wsu.wichita.edu/the-shocker/story.php?eid=15&id=268#.Xjiwac5KiHs [permanent dead link]
"Charles viewed sports as a healthy diversion, but wanted his son to study law. Bill decided to play football in college. He was a freshman at Colgate when the Philadelphia Phillies offered him a contract. Charles quickly nixed that idea. Parcells then transferred to the Municipal University of Wichita (now Wichita State), where he played linebacker in 1958–59 and earned a physical education degree".
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http://www.mahalo.com/Bill_Parcells "Bill Parcells started his [head] coaching career with the Air Force Academy and was part-time assistant basketball coach at Army, while Bobby Knight was the head coach."[dead link]
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