Celebrating Tom Coughlin’s legendary career with linebacker Tom McManus

In the Week 5 matchup with the Indianapolis Colts, the Jaguars are set to honor Coughlin by inducting him into the Pride of the Jaguars during halftime. He will make history as the first coach to be inducted into the Jaguars' Hall of Fame.

Tom has also been a tremendous leader in his charitable endeavors. His Jay Fund charitable organization has raised over 28 million dollars for families fighting childhood cancer.

The charity was established after Coughlin, who was coaching at Boston College, lost a player to leukemia. His name was Jay McGillis.

Coughlin witnessed the pain and toll it took on the McGillis family and vowed to help others in similar situations.

Tom McManus was a teammate of McGillis at Boston College and then played for five year under Coughlin in Jacksonville.

I had a chance to catchup with the former Jaguars linebacker recently and discuss Coach Tom Coughlin’s impact on and off the playing field.

Craig: What did coach mean to you first at Boston College and then with the Jaguars?

Tom: When Coach Coughlin came to Boston College right before my junior year. I redshirted my first season. I loved Coach Jack Bicknell but when coach came in, he was a breath of fresh air. Now granted, he was very hard and demanding and he was about accountability from day one in every single thing that he did. I personally loved it because he was always fair and honest.

Craig: It sounds like Coach Coughlin was a model of consistency. You knew what you were getting every day with him, there wasn't a wide spectrum of emotions there.

Tom: It was really simple. It was black and white. If you played your ass off, if you prepared your ass off, he would commend you. He would give out game balls in front of your teammates, but a lot of times it was the little things. He'd pull me aside and I'd be walking to practice, and he'd be like, "that was a great job yesterday in that drill" or "great play on Sunday" I admired that so much about him.

Craig: Would it be fair to say that Coach Coughlin had a profound impact on your life?

Tom: I don't want to get too deep on you, but without Coach, I doubt I make it to Jacksonville. I also never would have met my wife. She's from Jacksonville and I'd never have my three daughters. You think about where the time goes, it's been thirty years here and the decisions you make in your lifetime. I was in the Boston area; I was ready to start a job but then the call came, and I had to see if I could make the Jaguars roster. I think when I started, I was like seventh on the depth chart and that’s on special teams. (lol)

Craig: It will be special to see him go into the Jaguars Ring of Honor this season.

Tom: It's well deserved and long overdue. I'm biased but Tom Coughlin also needs to be enshrined in Canton. He has those two Super Bowl Championships, but even with what he accomplished here in Jacksonville, those years from 1996 to 1999 were really special. He doesn't get nearly enough credit for his general manager abilities. He was part GM and Head Coach back then and he knew how to construct and build a roster. He knew what kind of team he wanted, what kind of players and what kind of men he wanted. That's what made us so successful.

Craig: Of course, those titles that you referenced came with the Giants and not for the Jaguars unfortunately, but to expand on that a little further, those Jags teams in the late 90's were really special, weren't they?

Tom: In 1996 we went to the AFC Championship Game the first time against the Patriots. I was fortunate to earn a starting job beginning in week four and from that point on, I started every week throughout the playoff run. For a guy that was tending bar two years earlier and was totally done with football to be in that championship game situation was totally incredible. That loss to New England stings the most. The 98' loss to the Jets was wild. I mean we had a few turnovers early, a fumbled punt, just plays that killed us. I thought in 1998 we were really going to do it. Who knows, maybe this is the year or next year, the Jaguars can rewrite some history down here. That would be fantastic.