While football is the No. 1 priority for the New York Football Giants, sometimes other responsibilities transcend sports.
Though the Giants are in the midst of a tough stretch in their schedule, Head Coach Tom Coughlin hosted the seventh annual Champions for Children Gala at Cipriani in Manhattan on Oct. 28.
Coughlin, one of the few – if only – Catholic NFL coaches, sponsored the event through his Jay Fund Foundation. He started the non-profit organization in 1996 while coaching for the Jacksonville Jaguars, but the idea came to him while coaching at Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Mass., a Jesuit institution.
Tom Coughlin discusses the mission of the Jay Fund Foundation. by Jim Mancari
“I loved the virtues, values and the way in which the university was run,” Coughlin said. “As for the influence of the Jesuits, I really enjoyed being a part of that whole system.”
One of Coughlin’s former players at Boston College, safety Jay McGillis, passed away in July, 1992, after an eight-month battle with leukemia.
McGillis was one of Coughlin’s favorite players both on and off the field. He was a fun-loving young man who took football seriously but also carried himself professionally, just like his coach.
Coughlin spent a great deal of time with Jay during the latter’s battle and witnessed firsthand the emotional and financial strain on the McGillis family. He therefore vowed to do anything in his power to improve the plight for other families.
Coughlin was so inspired by McGillis that he named the foundation after his former player. The purpose of the organization is to help local families with a child suffering from leukemia or other cancers.
“Can you imagine sitting in a doctor’s waiting room, and the doctor comes in and tells you that your child has cancer?” said Coughlin. “[The foundation] puts everything into perspective for us.”
When Coughlin came to New York, the efforts of the foundation expanded greatly. The Champions for Children Gala has become the signature N.Y.C. event.
Both current and former Giants players and personnel attended the festivities, including quarterback Eli Manning, running back Brandon Jacobs, offensive guard Chris Snee, former linebacker Harry Carson, former tight end Howard Cross and team owner John Mara, all of whom fully support Coughlin’s cause.
“He [Coughlin] brings kids around every other week or so to let the kids see really what we’re about,” said Jacobs. “He involves the Jay Fund with football.”
“Anything that Coach attaches his name to, he’s going to put everything he has into it,” said Snee, Coughlin’s son-in-law who also went to Boston College.
Of all the past and present Giants to attend, current outside linebacker Mark Herzlich left the greatest impact on the guests. Another former Boston College player, Herzlich was forced to sit out his junior year in college after being diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer.
Herzlich overcame the cancer and returned to the football field for his senior year. The Giants signed him this summer as an undrafted free agent, but he impressed Coughlin enough in training camp to earn a spot on the roster.
“It’s an incredible dynamic when you know the experience that Mark has had and yet see all that he has accomplished and the type of person that he is,” said Coughlin.
His story is the epitome of what the Jay Fund truly is about. He has taken an active role in aiding Coughlin with his mission.
Cancer survivor Mark Herzlich recalls being inspired by Jay McGillis’ story. by Jim Mancari
“There aren’t too many better parallels in that Jay was a Boston College football player diagnosed with cancer and got through the fight,” Herzlich said. “Unfortunately, his didn’t turn out as good as mine did. And now me being a Boston College football player and fighting through it. It hits home.”
This year, the Jay Fund honored Timothy Shinn, president and CEO of United Crane Rentals Inc., and Steve Sabol, president of NFL Films who was diagnosed with a primary brain tumor in March.
To date, the foundation has donated over $3.5 million to help families who have a child with cancer.
In addition to the gala in N.Y.C., the Jay Fund also hosts an annual celebrity golf outing and a wine tasting gala to further raise funds for cancer research.
With continued support, Coughlin and the Jay Fund will progress in the mission of battling cancer with the memory of Jay McGillis in the forefront.
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