Tom Coughlin, Others Head to Middle East to Visit U.S. Troops

(Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

When the New York Giants finish their mini-camp on July 18, the organization will have their last break before training camp begins in early August. For head coach Tom Coughlin, the break begins with the USO Coaches Tour, a tour of NFL head coaches, past and present, that will visit combat troops in the Persian Gulf.

Coughlin will be joined by Jeff Fisher (Titans), John Harbaugh (Ravens), Bill Cowher (former coach of the Steelers), and Jon Gruden (former coach of the Buccaneers), and all four will head to war zones sometime in July. The Giants coach has often spoken about how much respect and admiration he has for the troops, and in only a few days, he will be visiting the men and women protecting America overseas.

A close interaction with military personal is nothing new for Coughlin. In 2007, Lt. Col. Greg Gadson, who lost both legs in Iraq, became an inspiration for the Super Bowl team, joining the team on the sidelines throughout the year, including at the Super Bowl and the NFC Championship Game.

After the Giants won the Super Bowl in February 2008, Coughlin took the Giants to the Walter Reed Army Hospital before visiting the White House.

Coughlin also has a close relationship with Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, the commanding officer in Iraq. Odierno visited Giants training camp last year and personally invited Coughlin to the Gulf before heading to Iraq, according to reports.

The USO Coaches Tour will be Coughlin’s first trip to Iraq and Afghanistan.

This trip should not be a surprise to any fan that has followed a Tom Coughlin team. Coughlin's coaching style certainly embodies many traits synonymous with the military. Discipline, honor, intelligence, and pride are characteristics of a Coughlin-coached team.

Though some coaches, athletes, and owners may feel like they are bigger than the game, no coach going overseas falls into that category. Coughlin, Fisher, Harbaugh, Cowher, and Gruden should be commended for taking time out of their personal and professional lives to visit the troops. These coaches understand that football is not the most important thing in life and know what a sacrifice the men and women serving overseas are making.

Coughlin’s commitment to the military will not end when he returns to face his team and their upcoming training camp.

Coughlin supports the Wounded Warriors Project, a non-profit organization that “tries to raise awareness and enlist the public’s aid for the needs of severely injured service men and women, helps severely injured service members aid and assist each other, and provides unique, direct programs and services to meet the needs of severely injured service members,” according to Giants.com.

On Aug. 2, the Giants report to training camp in Albany, N.Y. Practices begin the next day, so coaches and players have a little more than a month of free time before beginning their 2009 season.

Not Coughlin. Coughlin will be in the arid deserts of the Middle East, and his care and admiration for U.S. military personnel is genuine. Instead of going home to relax, Coughlin is taking time to visit those who truly make a difference in America—the troops.

Coughlin, Fisher, Harbaugh, Cowher, and Gruden remind us that football isn’t the most important thing in America today. Sometimes, there is something bigger happening, but we might not always see it. For those five men, they will see it firsthand, and should be commended for their involvement with the NFL’s first USO Coaches Tour.

But it is probably a good thing Coughlin doesn’t have much hair—it's doubtful Odierno will give him the Stephen Colbert treatment while Coughlin and the other coaches are visiting the troops.

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