PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Tom Coughlin saw his vision realized yet again Sunday.
But make no mistake:
Seeing evidence that the Jay Fund continues to grow and make an impact in the community never gets routine for Coughlin – and it certainly wasn't routine for the Jaguars' executive vice president of football operations early Sunday evening.
"I knew when I came here the first time that we wanted to do was give back in the spirit of the name of Jay McGillis," Coughlin said Sunday at TPC Sawgrass shortly before a dinner kicking off the 22nd Annual Tom Coughlin Jay Fund Celebrity Golf Classic in partnership with THE PLAYERS.
"The opportunity and the support we've received from the community in regard to this has been tremendous."
Coughlin's Jay Fund supports Jacksonville-area families battling childhood cancer. Coughlin began the foundation while he was the Jaguars' head coach from 1994-2002 and it continued to grow during his time as head coach of the New York Giants from 2004-2015.
Coughlin returned to the Jaguars in his current position in January. The Jay Fund was created in 1996 in honor of Jay McGillis, who played for Coughlin at Boston College.
Notable participants attending Sunday's dinner included Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker Harry Carson, University of Connecticut head coach Randy Edsall, ESPN NFL Analyst and former Denver Broncos linebacker Tom Jackson, ESPN NFL Insider Chris Mortensen, NFL Network Analyst and former New York Giants center Shaun O'Hara, former University of Florida, South Carolina and Duke Head Coach Steve Spurrier, former ESPN NFL reporter Ed Werder and Pro Football Hall of Fame General Manager Bill Polian.
Jaguars attending included General Manager David Caldwell, Head Coach Doug Marrone, kicker Jason Myers, defensive lineman Calais Campbell, defensive lineman Malik Jackson, long snapper Carson Tinker, guard A.J. Cann, linebacker Paul Posluszny and safety Barry Church.
