Games with Names - Highlight Reels: Bill Parcells Stories

Episode Date: December 28, 2025

Bill Parcells best stories are shared by former players including Keyshawn Johnson, Phil Simms, and Ty Law!Support the show: http://www.gameswithnames.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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I'm Julian Edelman, and we got a brand new compilation highlight reel starting now. Now, Kishon Johnson, on the biggest fight he ever saw between Parcells and Belichick. Parcells ever have drills for the defensive guys? Yeah, they always had drills. Like on how to carry the ball? I don't know if they did it. We used to do that. Bill would show those plays

and say look asshole We're not doing this Hey if you're going to do this It better be the last play of the game And we need you know what I mean It's just fucking funny Oh my gosh I would hate to be in the film room with Bill after If I had done that lateral

Oh my God No it was crazy though This crazy man and this game was crazy too Insane that set up Kishan's other touchdown The end around as we mentioned earlier Is it eff reverse? Are you on that play? It was

Bunch right, toss 38, Gator, Z reverse left. The same fucking play? Yeah. That's incredible. So we would change formationally, depending on personal. They started getting all that zip, zoom, snug bullshit later on. That shit, I had all that shit with grut and punk ass. Zip is just basically, yeah, Taylor Zee, got to come in to block. Yeah, or come half zip down.

Because we would do that, too. We would go bunch right, we would go bunch right zip, tossed 38 gaiters. So I would come and zip down and then come back around. Yeah. What's grueling like as a coach? Let's get through this. Anyways, before the half, we get up 17-0-0 here. There's a little scuffle, a little scuffle before the half.

You like to see that in playoff football. Jumbo Elliott and old Kevin Hardy. They were getting into it. Jumbo was big, man. I don't know what type of office in line me you play with, but he might have been one of the big. He couldn't walk through the door, man. He was one of them type of dudes.

All-time name, too. So big. Yeah, we had, we had to have. a couple. We didn't, we, I had one really big who, Trent. Yeah, Trent Brown. Trent Brown was a large human. I think he was like six, nine. But Jumbo was a large human, but ripped up. Yeah. He had the little, you know how we used to have, we had the V back in the day. Yeah. That's what he had as a line. And he had the V. That's like crazy. That's insane. We had a Nate soldier. Yeah, I know Nate. Nate was really like he, he was 315 pounds of the six

pack. Yeah, this is how Jumbo was. Yeah, you know what I mean? So there's just like Jumble was cool, too. Big boned men. Jumble was cool. That was one of my coolest offensive line homies I had. Heck yes.

No, it's so funny, ma'am. I, before you mentioned the halftime, before the half, Jimmy Smith scored, I believe. Yes, 52-yard bomb six seconds right as the half

was exposed. So I was supposed to go in the game. Oh. Be the safety. The beat of safety. Wow. Barsellich got into it. And it was the craziest shit

we ever, I ever seen on the sideline between two coaches ever. Because Belichick didn't want to put me in. Parcells wanted to put me in. Belichick said no. And they went right up the rail. Bomb, touchdown. And then Parcellus just lit his ass up. Oh, my gosh.

How was that relationship? At that time, I thought it was fine. It's great now. They like boys and shit. Now, but at that time, I thought it was fine. I don't know the difference, right? He came back the next year. But that thing, my eyeballs, I was like,

because I was standing there ready to go in. Yeah, he knows the situation. You know, and he's like, no. And Parcell's told him at this time, Parcell said something to the effect of, you think you know every fucking thing. That's your fucking genius, huh? You think you know everything.

That's why you fucking got fired from Cleveland. Yeah, that'll get it. That'll get the fumes going. It's fired. I was like this. Oh, shit. So when the situation came up again, I went in and got the interception. Yo.

That was the craziest thing. But I've seen Bill do that to the coaches before. Parcell's a type of coach that goes for neck. Oh, my God. He's going to go for kill shot. Man. Just to try to light that fire in your ass probably. Kill shot.

I watched Bill get at. I watched Bill get at Charlie Weiss at what time because you know how you do the cards. Yeah. The cards wasn't in sync. It was like all messed up. And at this time, Krispy Kreme donuts had just became a big thing, came to the East Coast of New York.

So we used to make all the younger guys go pick them up. Friday. Friday practice. Yeah, whatever. Yeah, pick them up, put them out. And Charlie would come to the players lounge and get some. We know Charlie liked some donuts.

He had messed up the cards one time. And Bill said, I bet you if those were these fucking cards, a crispy cream donuts, got that right. Jesus. Well, he was like, oh shit. Next up, Tylaw compares the coaching styles of Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, and Pete Carroll.

What was the similarities and differences between him and Parcells and Pete Carroll? And was to you, and then you went to the Jets and you went to the Chiefs. How was his ship? How was that? Man, I'll tell you what, you know, come in and get... What made him different? What made Parcells different is. you know

he was a well I'm going to start with Parcells because that's he drafted me so Parcells was the master manipulator when it comes to the mind and like he'll make you

so pissed off psychologically he'll you'll run to run through a wall you want to prove to him that. Phil Sims used to tell me crazy stories about that he told me

I was going to be the first first round of NFL history you get cut in training camp that's a part he's like what the father is that line you're going to be the

he called me to the side he's like listen right now you're working on being the first, first rounder in the history of the NFL to get cut in the middle of training cap. I'm sitting there like, in my stupid ass, you know, at the time, you know, just being me from out of court, I'm like, well, do what you got to do.

You know, come on, I'm whoop all that head. Do what you got to do. Stupid, you know what I mean? But that's just, you know, that's just who I was, you know what I mean? And then eventually, you know, he was like, man, he was the best, but he always rolled me. And it was one particular game where now I have. I established myself as kind of a fiscal and aggressive.

And he was like, you know what? You got everybody scared of you out there. All right. But this week, this guy's going to kick your ass. So he was talking about Michael Irvin. We was going down to play the Dallas Cowboys. And Michael Irvin, I think he had just hit, you know, like said, Anius Williams, one of the greatest, you know what I mean?

Look up to Nias trained with him. But he gave, he gave Nias to business. You know what I mean? It was like nine catches or something. Like 200, some yards and shit. I'm like, damn. So Parcell's challenge. me saying if he do that

to Neas Williams because he said you're damn sure knowing Niaz Williams. You know, that's what Parcellus told me. He's going to kick your ass. But guess what? I'm putting you on him. You know, you think you good. So, man, when I out there end up having two picks, you know, I think the defense player the week, all that stuff. But I wasn't

even thinking about playing Michael and the challenge him. I was sitting there thinking I got to prove Parcell's wrong for fucking with me. You know, I'm going to show you that I'm not the one and I had to take it out on Michael at the time. You know what I mean? But that's how my mentality was.

But Belichick, you know, that's how he got the best out of you. Belichick, he's going to sit you down because he was my DB coach, which I loved, by the way, because you had to do the least amount of studying when he's your coach because he doesn't do it all. Everything that he says is going to happen is going to happen. It's going to be one or two things. And what I really fell in love with the way he coached, he was my DB coach. We were playing the Saints.

He said, look, if they line up in this formation, tight in here guy on the top of the numbers if he's lined up on the top of the numbers he's going to do a curl and my thing was I didn't want to be on the wrong end highlights

what if you run a curl and go he's not going to do it if he run a curl and go it's on me so I said shit scene of formation is coming bam sure enough he did exactly that came in jumped in front of it

pick and it was like shit so now when we're moving Belich had you in such a great position mentally that you went into the game so confident and saying that if anything happens, put it on him. But guarantee this is going to happen

and that's how he was as a coach. So when he left and came back, we're thinking like, that's our boy. Man, me and lawyer called him illegally, I might add, you know, at the time because we ain't supposed to contact him and stuff like that. But that was our guy. That was our coach. So when he came back,

man, we were so happy. And then when Bill walking the bill, and we're trying to go do like the group hug type he's a head coach now I'm like oh Bill doesn't got a new chuck and got brand new and shit it doesn't got brand new

it ain't the same but now you had to realize and it took us a minute that he's not our coach anymore he's our coach and he has to sit there and treat everything

and conduct itself in a certain way but what he does from a game plan perspective I've never been with another coach or another organization that is that prepared

at all times times and he made you feel comfortable even his adjustments this is what we're going to do bam you just got to be smart in training camp we will see shit that we ain't seen in eight weeks we're going back to some something training camp you got like what we ain't played that since training camp but for this particular game or are we going at halftime he comes back this is what it is so i think that separates the bill from everyone else is his adjustments and how he looks at the game you know what I mean from offense defensively he used to have to leave to help Charlie White's he would leave our defense to me we'd be in our by our damn self ain't nobody

getting coached because he up just telling the offense what the other defense is doing he had to leave the meeting so many times just to go up there and help the offense by looking at the defense he was that much of a genius when it comes to a football mind Pete Carroll I like Pete Pete gave me the bag he puts for me to get the bag but he was a DB guy but I think his personality didn't mesh well with a lot of other guys because we all interviewed I interviewed because ain't nobody know

he's going to hire Belichick I was like man I like Pete so when they came down Bobby Greer and all that gym you know scrap I was like man we went to the playoffs I felt somewhat responsible because I gave up the touchdown you know what I mean I did I gave up a touchdown I was sick

to who I think is one of the best ever when it come to me, you know, matching up. That damn Jimmy Smith was an animal, bro. I just want to put that out there. So, but Pete Carroll, man, the happy-go-lucky guy that just didn't sit well with the rest of the guys. Because no matter what, come on, guys, don't you feel it? Don't you feel it? That r-rah-rah.

Yeah, you know, he was rar-wrat like that, you know what I like. You're coming from Parcells to tell you about to get cut in the first fucking training, yeah, exactly. This guy's smacking his gum saying it's going to be a great. Yeah, exactly. It was a totally different energy, you know what I mean? And then you get back to Bill. He's in that similar. Similar, more similar to ourselves, you know, and Bill, don't me wrong, he wanted outside of business, me and Bill ain't never had a problem outside of contract and business. You know what mean? But you got to understand we're all independent contractors. You know that at the end

of the day. We're on the team. But when we're talking about this and we have discrepancies about this, he has to work for himself in the organization. You have to work for yourself as an individual, you know, as a eight, because, hey, it's short-lived, you know what I mean, but, and just that I'm about that. He'll go to drink with you, he's going to have a beer with you, he's going to laugh, have a good time. And that's, you know, I mean, Bill's a computer where, like, if he's doing work, he's just thinking about work.

And the one thing that he was always, that I always liked with Bill, he was honest with you. Right. Which he would try to be a little overly honest just to prove his point on certain things. look, I'm not going to pay you fucking $10 million, I don't mean. Yeah, yeah, yeah. $12 million. You're fucking $33. Yeah, yeah.

You know, you're not going to be able to walk in three years. He will tell you that. He would tell you that shit. He'll tell you that, yeah. But what you said about him preparing a team and saying it's going to be on me if it doesn't go this way, there are countless times where, you know, I remember he'd have those team meetings because it was probably the same. and he'd give you the keys.

Look, fellas, we just need to do this, this, this. And if we do that, this is going to happen. Right. We'd sit there, be listening to this shit. And then you'd watch that on a Monday when you're watching film, everything that he said happened. Right. And exactly to how he said.

Exactly. I'm saying he took that, he made it easier to do your job because he did all the hard work. A lot of guys don't want to study that film. So you basically got a coach as a walk-in cheat sheet. You know what I mean? You can go ask him anything out of the blue. He's going to already know what it is.

I'm sitting there like, it's at a point where like, how do you know all that? You watched us. You hear offensive guys asking him stuff. And I'm like, how do you got time to do all this shit and know all this? He's a, 100% of a cheat sheet, but he's an asshole cheat sheet. But I loved him. Next, Phil Sims on his experience playing for Coach Parcells. You know, Parcells, that was his thing.

He could connect with the player. Oh, you know, he knew how to get the best out of his player. Like, he probably did this, that to Phil and treated Phil the way he treated him because that's what fires up Phil. Phil likes to be pissed off. He plays well pissed off. I don't know about that. You know what I mean?

And that's, and that's what, you know, Parcell's tried to do. I saw a lot of that stuff, too, you know, from Belichick with certain people, you know? It's just they do whatever it takes to push the button to get the best out of you. Push them buttons. He was great. Yeah. So you trade some, you trade.

But he would, Bill, here's that Parcells would do. I watched him during the week. You know, he would walk around the locker room and get a guy and go, all right,

now listen, here's what I need for me this week. You know, you gotta, come on in. And he would work the room. Like, you know, he had a restaurant. He would hit everybody individually

just for 30 seconds and maybe say something. You know, now you've got to play better. I don't want to take your ass out, you know, but he was very, if you want honesty,

he was honest. Well, he's looking at every piece of the machine to make sure it, I mean, it's the big blue wrecking crew. Every, every piece has got to be working. But he worked everybody. It was, it was an unbelievable thing. It's a, it's a, it's the best skill I think a coach can have. Absolutely. It's to be able to do this to players to be tough on them and still, what's the word? Not alienate them. No. And all that. They just knew this is what it is. And he's doing, you want honesty. I'll push you. I just want you to be honest. Do you really? Do you really want them? Yeah. was honest. I saw him do this. I hate to tell these stories. We're in training camp and we're doing an inside run thing and we have a guard. I'm not going to say his game. He goes

I'll call him Billy. Billy I got the plane ticket in my drawer. Don't make me give it to you. Come on. I got to see it. Come on. I got the damn plane ticket in the drawer. And I just go, wow, that was

really like that was rough. Yeah. He just and he would give the guy two or three days and almost always one morning we show, where's so-and-so? Oh, they let him go. But he would warn him if you don't pick it up.

Oh, no, he never bluffed. Wow. But I heard him do that quite a few times. Yeah. But he was warning the guy, you know, that if you don't practice better, then it's just not going to work here. The plane ticket in the drawer.

Yeah, I got the, I mean, I can see it like a... My ex-girlfriend did the same thing to me. Did you? No. But, uh, now we got Gishon Johnson on Bill Parcell's unique leadership style. Parcells comes in day one. Is it just completely different? Oh, my God.

He fired the dude at the front gate that was a security guard named Harry. Harry had been like the security guard for like however many years, older guy. Bill got rid of him immediately. And so one of our linebackers named Bobby Houston was a starting linebacker. for the Jets, I don't know, four or five years in a row. Solid linebacker, like, really good. He told him if he wasn't at off-season conditioning,

he was going to get rid of him. Dude didn't come to off-season condition. Never played again in the national football league. Cutting. Never played again in the national football league. So he- Mafia. Those coaches are mafia. He started the OTAs.

It used to be getting, you had to get 40 days over like a, I want to say maybe a two-and-a-half. half-month period of time. You had to get 40 days in. And it was like you go a week, maybe two weeks, you're off. Then you come back a week, maybe off a week, you know, that sort of deal. And so when he came, obviously, I was one of the targets, right?

Oh, he was one of the targets. So he calls my agent, do this, that. And so I'm like, let's pan on fucking with all that shit, man. You know, so now my agent go, well, he said, you don't come, da-da-da. I said, man, well, shit, man, I want to be at home with my family. I can do the same thing here.

He goes, you tell him. This is how he talks. He goes, you tell him. If he's not here on this such and such date, it'd be the worst mistake he ever made. So I go, I go, right? So now at this point, I'm probably a little overweight. You know, I'm probably a little overweight.

I'm probably 225-ish somewhere in there. He goes, I sit down in this room. I go in there, I'm in his room. He's got a dark room. He's got one little light on, like Mafia, like you just said. He's sitting there and we're talking. He goes, how much did you weigh? I said, shit, I think I'm about 225-ish.

He goes, what was that guy in the Rose Bowl? So I think I was probably 2-10 maybe. He goes, that's the guy I want. I said, okay, cool, no problem. So now I go home, I come back, go through the whole off-season condition, I'm 208, right? So I'm looking crazy to him. I'm fucking, you know. So now all of a sudden, that's all I need it.

I'm a made man now for the rest of my life. He got me for the rest of my life because I did everything he asked me to. You see what I'm saying? Yeah. Yeah. He asked me to do something for him. I did it like that. And now you could say, you could say one bad word about me in front of him.

You're going to catch hell. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? And so that's how I changed like that. And he's a, he, after my second year, after my first year with him in 97, although I'm on a rookie contract, he tried to rip my contract up. But the management council with the NFL wouldn't allow it. We did the deal. He was getting ready to make me at that time in 97.

I hadn't even done shit I had been fucking 65 catchers he was going to make me one of the highest pay receivers in the NFL at the time we did the deal and everything they sent it to the management council the management council

didn't want to set a precedent so they didn't approve it that's how our trust and our loyalty became a bond like it is now wow yeah so you gained Parcell's trust through cutting your weight

and then from that day on because you did with you even at this day I just talked to him another day he goes what's the number number. I said, shit, man, I don't know. I'm probably 2.35 or something. I just slip it down a little bit. He goes, yeah, you look good, but I don't know if you're 235. It looks like you got walnuts of your cheeks. I'm like, no, I'm good. I'm like, I'm good. Coach, I really, you know, he's well,

you're doing good, son. You just keep doing what you're doing, man. I'm proud of you because that's my guy. Yeah, that's kind of, you know, when I say it all the time, you know, when you're around a guy for a long time that changes you like I was around Belichick, it becomes like a fatherly figure to you. Thanks for listening. Remember to tune in every Tuesday

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That's Lenovo.com. I'm Stefan Curry, and this is Gentleman's Cut. I think what makes Gentleman's Cut different is me being a part of developing the profile of This beautiful finished product, with every sip, you get a little something different. Visit gentlemen's cut bourbon.com or your nearest total wines or Bevmo. This message is intended for audiences 21 and older. Gentleman's Cut Bourbon, Boone County, Kentucky. For more on Gentleman's Cut Bourbon, please visit gentlemen's cut bourbon.

Please enjoy responsibly. Have you ever listened to those true crime shows and found yourself with more questions than answers? Who catfish is a city? Is it even safe to snort human remains? Is that the plot of Footloose? I'm comedian Rory Scoville, and I'm here to tell you, Josh Dean and I have a new podcast that celebrates the amazing creativity

of the world's dumbest criminals. It's called Crimeless, a true crime comedy podcast. Listen on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I know he has a reputation, but it's going to catch up to him. Gabe Ortiz is a cop. His brother, Larry, a mystery Gabe didn't want to solve until it was too late.

He was the head of this gang. You're going to push that line for the cause? Took us under his wing and showed us the game, as they call it. When Larry's killed, Game Must Untangle the Dangerous Past, one that could destroy everything he thought he knew. Listen to the Brothers Ortiz and the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.