Arizona Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians has been one of the most beloved mentors in the NFL. Players love him and he gets the most out of them. Big Ben Roethlisberger gushes any time Bruce’s name comes up. Arians is relatable, no-nonsense, and tough. So tough he’s not afraid to cut one of his players from the team for parking in the wrong spot.
Don't park in Bruce Arians' parking spot…
Really. Don't. 😳 #AllorNothing https://t.co/NpabzdJmhn https://t.co/JDLuaQtNYj
— NFL (@NFL) July 2, 2016
The player cut was Lawrence Okoye – who, as far as I know, has no relation to the Nigerian Nightmare Christian Okoye, a beast who used to bulldoze tacklers while a running back with the Kansas City Chiefs. Lawrence Okoye is the British record holder in the discus event, but finished 12th at the 2012 Summer Olympics. He was signed by the San Francisco 49ers after the 2013 NFL Draft despite Okoye not playing a down of football in high school or college.
After signing to the Cardinals practice squad in early September 2015, he was released a month later, because he was running late, saw a parking spot open and went for it, completely ignoring the sign in front of it. That spot was Arians’. According to CBS…
“Parked in the wrong spot,” Arians said to general manager Steve Keim and team president Michael Bidwill. “There weren’t any parking places, so he just parked and came running in. Tough (expletive), bro.”
Okoye was later signed and released by the Jets and is currently on the Cowboys roster.
While I don’t think the Cardinals are a legitimate Super Bowl contender with Carson Palmer calling signals, if there were a coach who could get a team to the big game on sheer will alone, it would be Bruce Arians. He makes me want to watch that All or Nothing series on Amazon, which is like Hard Knocks, but spans an entire season. He looks like a hipster version of Mike Holmgren or Andy Reid in those glasses and hat. I would listen to a rap album by Bruce Arians.
Via Fox Sports