Today In Patriots History Aug 22, 2026: Happy 85th birthday to Bill Parcells

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
Bill Parcells​

Hero or Zero?

Big Tuna is either loved or loathed, with very little Venn Diagram overlap amongst Patriot Nation.


Rather than rehash what all of us already know, here are a few somewhat obscure Parcells tidbits.

* William is neither his first nor middle name. When he was in high school he was often mistaken for another guy named Bill, and as he had always hated the name Duane growing up, he just went with Bill.

* Parcells played football, basketball and baseball in high school. No major colleges recruited him for football or baseball, but the Philadelphia Phillies did offer him a contract. That was turned down because, ironically enough, his father disapproved of a career in sports.

* He originally enrolled at prestigious Colgate University with the intention of pursuing a law degree.

* After his freshman year Parcells transferred to Wichita State, graduating with a degree in phys ed. Quite a 180 there.

* Detroit selected Parcells in the seventh round of the 1964 NFL draft, a linebacker in college that was being used at guard in training camp.

* He literally walked out of practice (and the NFL) early on in camp. I wonder how Parcells the coach would have treated Parcells the player?

On This Date: Bill Parcells Quits Detroit Lions after Training Camp Practice

Bill Parcells walked out of Detroit Lions training following a rigorous practice in the heat.

www.si.com

* At this point Parcells was considering two primary options: attending law school, or becoming a Pizza Hut franchise owner.

* Instead he chose Door #3, becoming an assistant coach at NAIA Hastings College (enrollment approximately 1,000). Dad must have been livid.

* While working as a linebackers coach at Army, he was also an assistant basketball coach - under Bobby Knight.



* In 1979 Parcells accepted an offer to become the Giants DC, but backed out because his wife and kids loved living in Colorado. (This would not be the last job he backed out of.) He worked in land development for a year before she relented.

* The name Big Tuna came from his his first NFL gig, as a linebackers coach for the Patriots in 1980 under Ron Erhardt. Some players thought they would pull a prank on Parcells, which he did not fall for. Parcells yelled at safety Rick Sanford, "Who do you think I am? Charlie the Tuna?" referencing the naive cartoon fish from then-current StarKist tuna commercials.



* He was nearly fired after his first year as head coach, falling to 3-12-1 after they went 4-5 in the previous strike-shortened year. During that season he decided to go with Scott Brunner at QB over Phil Simms. The only reason he kept his job is because University of Miami head coach Howard Schnellenberger turned down the Mara family's job offer.

* Parcells twice agreed to become the head coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, then backed out at the last minute - not once, but twice.

* After turning down the Bucs in 1992, Ron Wolf offered him the Green Bay head coaching position. Parcells turned that down as well, and Wolf gave Mike Holmgren the job. Holmgren went on to defeat Parcells a few years later in Super Bowl XXXI.

* The second time he turned down the Bucs was ten years later, when Tampa fired Tony Dungy. Their second choice, Jon Gruden, led the Bucs to a 48-21 win in Super Bowl XXXVII in his first season in Tampa, right in the middle of the Pats first three championships.

* Parcells' daughter married Scott Pioli.

* He and his wife married while they were still students at Wichita, and remained married for forty years before divorcing in 2002.





*

 

[patfanken]

Great coach and worthy of the HOF in Canton, NOT the HOF in Foxboro.

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
The Early Years​

August 22, 1959:
Eight days after announcing the formation of a new football league, the six original owners signed Articles of Organization at a meeting in Dallas. The group announced the name of the new venture would be the American Football league.

​

History of the American Football League - 1959

In 1958, Texas oilman H. L. Hunt's son and heir, Lamar Hunt, wanted to bring professional football to Texas. He was rebuffed in his efforts to establish an NFL franchise there, and in 1959, decided to form a new professional football league, which he called the American Football League. In Chicago's Conrad Hilton Hotel, on August 14th, 1959, the franchises that initially joined Hunt's Dallas Texans were: K.S. (Bud) Adams' Houston Oilers, Harry Wismer's New York Titans, Bob Howsam's Denver Broncos, Barron Hilton's Los Angeles Chargers, and Max Winter and Bill Boyer's Minnesota franchise. By November they had been joined by Ralph Wilson's Buffalo Bills and William H. (Billy) Sullivan's Boston Patriots. In one of the first acts of treachery by the NFL against the new league, Winter was lured away from the so-called "Foolish Club" and promised a franchise in the established league. The eighth AFL franchise, replacing Minnesota, later became the Oakland Raiders, owned by a group including Chet Soda, Wayne Valley, E. J. McGah and Ed McGah Jr.​

Thus, Hunt's vision brought a new professional football league not only to California and New York, but to parts of the nation that did not have the game: New England, Colorado and Texas. It would later be brought to Missouri and Florida. The AFL also adopted the first-ever cooperative television plan for professional football, in which the league office negotiated an ABC-TV contract, the proceeds of which were divided equally among member clubs.​

On November 30th, Joe Foss, a WWII Marine flying ace and former governor of South Dakota, was named American Football League Commissioner. Foss commissioned a friend of Harry Wismer's to develop the AFL's classic eagle-on-football logo.​

1959 | Pro Football Hall of Fame

www.profootballhof.com

Lamar Hunt of Dallas announced his intentions to form a second pro football league. The first meeting was held in Chicago, August 14, and consisted of Hunt representing Dallas; Bob Howsam, Denver; K.S. (Bud) Adams, Houston; Barron Hilton, Los Angeles; Max Winter and Bill Boyer, Minneapolis; and Harry Wismer, New York City. They made plans to begin play in 1960.​

The new league was named the American Football League, August 22. Buffalo, owned by Ralph Wilson, became the seventh franchise, October 28. Boston, owned by William H. Sullivan, became the eighth team, November 22. The first AFL draft, lasting 33 rounds, was held, November 22. Joe Foss was named AFL Commissioner, November 30. An additional draft of 20 rounds was held by the AFL, December 2.​

"The Foolish Club": the American Football League owners.
Seated left to right: Houston Oilers owner K.S. "Bud" Adams, Jr., AFL Commissioner Joe Foss.
Standing left to right: Boston owner Billy Sullivan, Denver owner Cal Kunz, Buffalo owner Ralph Wilson,
Dallas owner Lamar Hunt, New York owner Harry Wismer, Oakland owner Wayne Valley, San Diego owner Barron Hilton.​

 

[maust]

"Yes, he turned the franchise around and kept it in Massachusetts"

Krafty Bob is the only reason the Pats didn't end up in St Louis

 

[Patjew]

That is one old tuna!

 

[XLIX]

​

 

[grux]

Great coach. He turned us from laughing stock into a Super Bowl Contender. Drafted Bledsoe, McGinest, Law and Bruschi, players that would help lay the foundation for our first dynasty. I hope he gets into the HOF. Thanks coach.

 

[rkarp1]

Great coach and worthy of the HOF in Canton, NOT the HOF in Foxboro.

Parcells is already in both, no?
NFL HOF- 2013
NEPats HOF-2025 along side JE

 

[maust]

Parcells is already in both, no?
NFL HOF- 2013
NEPats HOF-2025 along side JE

Yes he is but he only belongs in the 1st one

 

[patfanken]

Parcells is already in both, no?
NFL HOF- 2013
NEPats HOF-2025 along side JE

yeah, he IS in the Pats HOF, but not because he was voted in by the fans, because they had rightly refused to vote him in all previous votes, but because he got in by some media or ownership special invite. Actually, I don't know HOW he got in. They just announced it one day.

Parcells was a .500 coach while he was here. I know it took a few years to build the team, but his exit was DISGRACEFUL and the opposite of what you want in your HOF. Parcells was a great builder of teams, but when it came to being able to MAINTAIN them, which is a much harder thing to do, not so much. BTW, Parcells was self aware enough to realize this and that is what he was always trying to move from team to team before his contract was up. He did with the Giants, Pats, Jets and Cowboys IIRC.

Think about it. Bill Parcells in the Pats HOF and Russ Francis ISN'T.

 

[jmt57]

That is one old tuna!

 

[DarrylS]

He was a crusty old carmudgeon who during thar SB run was more concerned with his next gig more than focusing on the Pats.
He took another plane home after that SB loss.
NFL HOF yes, Pats HOF no.
Sone things are unforgivable.

 

[TheRainMaker]

He turned around team and then held them back because he was petty over a WR who ignited their offense. They wouldn’t have gotten to the Super Bowl had they taken Brackens or Clemons. The Giants bailed them out by taking Cedric Jones who he originally wanted.

Then he made them sweat in 1997 and terrorized them from 1998-1999. What never made sense about the poison pill contract was why it didn’t apply to the Jets as well? How in the world could tell a team what happens if they re-sign their own player? I have no idea how that wasn’t instantly shut down by the league.

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
The Sixties​

August 22, 1963:
Tight end Oscar Lofton joins the coaching staff at Holy Cross on the recommendation of Mike Holovak, after Lofton left the team due to a hamstring injury. While working for the Crusaders he also played in the Atlantic Coast Football League until 1966.

Lofton played in all 14 games of the inaugural 1960 season, scoring four touchdowns on 19 receptions for 360 yards. His playing days with the Patriots had been interrupted when he was drafted after his rookie season, and had to serve two years in the Army. The final game of the 1960 season was his best, when he caught three passes from Butch Songin for 86 yards, including TDs of 37 and 39 yards.

For the next 22 years Lofton worked as a coach and athletic director in Louisiana, for LSU, Tulane, and his alma mater Southeastern Louisiana. After that he worked for the NFL combine, then as a scout for the San Francisco 49ers from 1992 until his retirement in 2007. Lofton passed away in January at the age of 87.

Oscar Warren Lofton Obituary Jan 4, 2026 - Church Funeral Services & Crematory

View Oscar Warren Lofton's obituary, send flowers, find service dates, and sign the guestbook.

www.churchfuneralservices.com

Oscar Lofton, former Southeastern football coach and athletic director, dies at 87

Oscar Lofton, a former head football coach and athletic director at Southeastern Louisiana University, passed away at 87 years old.

www.wbrz.com

August 22, 1964:
Week 2 of the AFL Exhibition Season
New York at Boston
Saturday 2:30 at Rutgers Stadium in New Brunswick, New Jersey
Jets 21, Patriots 20

This was the second of two consecutive games against the Jets. The first one, originally planned on for August 15, was re-scheduled and played on Tuesday night, August 18 at Lowell Stadium. Boston's offense was inept in that game, gaining only two first downs rushing and nine overall, with just 197 yards of total offense in a 23-7 loss. The Pats performed better in the rematch but still fell short.

For whatever reason I can find info on the first game, but nothing other than the score of this second game.

And go figure, the Jets played in New Jersey even way back then.

AFL Game Summary: Jets-Patriots, August 18, 1964:

Viewer - Patriots

Media Archive Suite

patriots.1rmg.com

Jets Overcome Patriots, 23‐7; As Wood Directs 2d‐Half Drive (Published 1964)

www.nytimes.com

​

August 22, 1966:
Linebacker Ed Meixler is released

This was the end of Ed's brief football career. He was selected by the Pats in the 18th round, 143rd overall, in the 1965 AFL draft out of Boston University. Meixler played in the final four games of the '65 season for the Pats after spending the rest of the year on the taxi squad. He too played in the ACFL, for the Holyoke Bombers and New Bedford Sweepers (whose GM was Celtics radio announcer Johnny Most).

.

 

[jmt57]

I have no idea how that wasn’t instantly shut down by the league.

Perhaps something to do with where the league offices are located, and what organizations some from that staff previously worked for?