The New York Giants (1-1) will host the Tennessee Titans (0-2) at MetLife Stadium on Sunday afternoon in a matchup that will pit many players and coaches against their former teams and teammates.
One homecoming that may have been missed was that of John "Bones" Fassel, the Titans' assistant head coach and special teams coordinator. He is the son of the late Jim Fassel, who was the Giants' offensive coordinator in 1991 and 1992 and then served as head coach from 1997-2003.
Although the younger Fassel has been back to New York on many an occasion since his dad worked here, coming back to the area invokes fond memories.
Facing the @Giants stirs up all kinds of emotions for @Titans special teams coordinator John Fassel. Fassel’s dad, Jim, had two coaching
stints with the Giants, including as head coach. John Fassel served a as a ball boy for the team as a kid. pic.twitter.com/ysY8NLrYAi
— Jim Wyatt (@jwyattsports) September 24, 2026
“My gosh, it stirs emotion in me. I have incredible admiration for the New York Giants franchise,” Fassel said this week. “Every year I go back to New York, and it reminds me of being a ball boy and being out there in pregame warmups and catching punts for Brad Maynard and all of the specialists out there. A lot of fantastic memories.
"Sorry. I could talk about this forever."
Jim Fassel died of a heart attack in 2021 at the age of 71. He got to see his son become one of the NFL's premier special teams coaches.
The 52-year-old John, nicknamed "Bones" for his slender frame, has been coaching special teams in the NFL for over 20 years. He began his career in 2005 with the Baltimore Ravens. He has since coached for the Oakland Raiders, the St. Louis and Los Angeles Rams, the Dallas Cowboys, and now the Titans.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: Titans' John Fassel on facing New York Giants: 'It stirs emotion in me'
