National Football League

Coughlin emotional after bin Laden death

Published May. 2, 2011 1:00 a.m. ET

foxsports

The news that after nearly 10 years Osama bin Laden had been killed brought a rush of emotion to Giants coach Tom Coughlin Monday.

Coughlin spent 45 agonizing minutes on 9/11 not knowing what had happened to his son Tim, who escaped Tower 2 at the World Trade Center, where he worked as a bond trader for Morgan Stanley.

"It's not an easy thing to put into words because of all the emotions that run through you when you think of the flag, when you think of 9/11 and you think of Ground Zero and all the people that have been affected by this,'' Coughlin said Monday on Sirius NFL Radio.

"One of the things that does put the goose bumps on top of my goose bumps is the reaction of all Americans to this news, what's going on on the college campuses, what's going on spontaneously in downtown New York City and Washington, D.C., my understanding the Mets-Phillies game the other night, those type of things. It just about takes your breath away.''

Coughlin spent his Fourth of July in 2009 on the NFL-USO Coaches Tour of the Persian Gulf, visiting with troops.

"You think of the patriotism, you think of the sacrifices that have been made by our servicemen and women who have put their lives on the line every day, who need our tremendous support and will always get it from me and I'm sure from many, many Americans,'' Coughlin said.

"To think that this has been accomplished and that this individual has paid the ultimate price and hopefully we will continue to be able to dismantle al Qaeda and any terrorist organization. Just the reaction of the American people has been an incredible thing for us to witness, and we're so thankful the Navy SEALS were successful in this adventure," he said.