Motivational Story - John Tuggle ("Mr. Irrelevant" - NFL 1983)

 

Greetings! This piece is a story about a player that was the 335th person selected in the 1983 National Football League Draft. This is going to be a story more so to emphasize how much “Desire” and “Will Power” can help solidify your career over one that might be blessed with more skills? It’s also to remind you once more to never let your current playing circumstances dictate your outcome?

Meet John Tuggle. He was the player deemed "Mr. Irrelevant” back in ’83 after his selection was made by the New York Giants. It was a title given to the last player selected in the final round of the NFL draft each year. He was a 6-1, 210-pound running back from the University of California. His draft reports stated that Tuggle was not equipped with NFL level talent but had the strongest drive to succeed.

It was Tuggle's unwavering determination that carried him throughout his first NFL training camp. He basically defied all odds by making the squad and became one of the rare players to do so. He quickly captured the attention of his teammates and coaches with his highlight film hits and spirited tackles on the Giants Kick-Off Coverage. Unanimously, the organization named him the Giants' Special Team’s Player-of-the-Year after the 1983 season. He also took over the starting fullback position with five games left in his rookie year. Quite a remarkable story!

Heading into his second season, Tuggle tore the ligaments in his knee at the Giants off-season mini camp. The injury required surgery and 6-8 months of rehabilitation. During this time, team doctors discovered he had a cancerous tumor in his shoulder that had surprisingly already began spreading to his lungs.

Through all of the pain and heartache of not playing, there was John Tuggle, standing right on the sidelines cheering for his Giants teammates at every game. During the 1984 season – a year that he never put his uniform on – his teammates voted him the Most Courageous Player!

In the spring of 1985, Tuggle returned back to the Giants training camp declaring he would play football again. He walked into camp and was seen out-lifting his teammates in the weight room. Tuggle was even given medical clearance by Giants physicians to participate in camp drills. But soon thereafter, his health began to deteriorate. He would undergo lung surgery to try to remove the cancerous cells.

Turning to the 1986 calendar year, John would never again walk on a football field. He would succumb to cancer and passed away on August 30th just before the Giants season was to begin. That same year, the Giants honored his memory by wearing John’s Jersey No. 38 on their helmets during the entire Super Bowl winning season including the Championship Game!

His former Giants Coach Bill Parcells purchased a Horse 25 years after his former player had passed and named it TUGGLE in his honor. Parcells said this of John: "For all the players that I've ever coached in my lifetime, there have been a few who have those attributes that scouts just couldn't see? John Tuggle was one of them. You had to gain an understanding of this guy's determination, his will, those kinds of things. You don’t see that just walking around. You saw it when he was under duress and during times of pain. He just always responded."

Never give up on your situation! You are the Author of your Destiny OK! Write the Chapter you’ll never forget! 

Jim Loria

QUOTE FROM JOHN TUGGLE’S FORMER GIANTS TEAMMATE ROB CARPENTER: 

“His inspiration got me to change my life plans. I looked at life differently. Cherish what you have and cherish your family. I use John as an example to my high school football players I coach. I tell them No Roadblocks ever got John down."