"You are what your record says you are."

 

Bill Parcells as head football coach at the U.S. Air Force Academy, 1978 (public domain)

Last Friday (August 22, 2025) was the 84th birthday of Pro Football Hall of Fame coach Bill Parcells. Parcells won the Super Bowl twice with the Giants and the AFC Championship with the Patriots – one of just eight coaches with at least three Super Bowl appearances and at least two wins. He also reached the playoffs with the Jets and twice with the Cowboys. When he took over football operations (in a non-coaching role) with the Dolphins in 2008, the team's win-loss record improved from 1-15 to 11-5. He is an NFL legend.

Parcells once said something that I think about virtually every day, especially when thinking about sports: "You are what your record says you are."

I agree with the quote, with three provisos..

First, the quote applies only to your (or your organization's or team's) results in results-driven endeavors. Social expectations and other people's judgments on how you've lived your life aren't your "record."

You may have been divorced seven times and are planning your eighth wedding. Some in your circles may say, "You are what your record is, and obviously, you're bad at marriage. Don't do it." 

Whereas another may say, "You are what your record is, and your record says that you have lovable traits that make people want to be with you, and you are an eternal optimist."

In my opinion, however, this is not what Parcells meant by the quote. A "successful marriage" doesn't fit objective criteria like a team's win-loss record. You're in a successful marriage if you're happy to be in it, not because there are "results" to measure.

Second, "you are what your record says you are" isn't about your worth as a human person, but only about success in the endeavor. When it's said of a high schooler, "He's a C student," that means his school grades are mostly Cs and average out to a C. "He is what his (academic) record says he is." 

It's not even a reflection of the student's intelligence or effort. But the academic record may impact his prospects regarding acceptance at preferred colleges and universities. It's up to the student, his family, teachers, and counselors to determine if there are ways to improve his grades. By his senior year, however, he should be aware that universities receiving his application are under no obligation to look beyond his mediocre grades. They must review countless applications and have no time for excuses. They see him as a C student because that's what he showed himself to be.

Third, you are what your record says at the end. 

A movie studio may have a humdrum winter and spring, but it knows the year will depend on whether its summer and Christmas releases will be blockbusters. The studio isn't what its box office receipts are as of March 31. 

You don't judge a horse by where it is after a half-mile of the Kentucky Derby. The same can be said of team records after only a portion of the season, especially when there are numerous playoff spots open.

The 2001 Patriots started 1-3. After ten games, they were 5-5. They finished the regular season 11-5, first in their division and with a first-round bye. Oh, and they won the Super Bowl. 

The Patriots weren't a bad team at 1-3 (although they did make an injury-driven change at quarterback), and they weren't a mediocre team at 5-5. They were a good team because they ended as a good team. Bad teams rarely recover from a 1-3 start, and mediocre teams don't rise above average.

You don't have to apologize for your successful record. Easy schedule, lucky breaks, a talented player fell into your lap. An excellent record means you took advantage. What can one say but, "Excellent job!"

At the heart of Bill Parcells's meaning in "You are what your record says you are" is that there are no excuses.

You didn't miss the NFL playoffs because of poor officiating in the last game; you missed the playoffs because you lost too many games.

You didn't miss the NCAA Basketball Tournament because the TV networks subtly pressured the Selection Committee to pick a more prominent university over yours; you missed it because you lost too many games.

If your employer allows you to be late for work ten times, and you've filled that quota up because you took too long getting ready (i.e., got up too late), and then get fired because the eleventh time there was a traffic incident that was genuinely not your fault, who is to blame? You are what your punctuality record says you are.

If a corporation lost money last year while its similarly situated rival made a profit, the one thing the CEO can't do is avoid responsibility. Deflecting blame won't turn last year's red into black. You are a money-losing company until you're not.

To say "no excuses" isn't the same as beating myself up for failures. It's just to acknowledge what the performance has been. There is no other way to improve.

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James Leroy Wilson writes The MVP Chase (subscribe) and JL Cells (subscribe). Thank you for your subscriptions and support! You can contact James for writing, editing, research, and other work at jamesleroywilson-at-gmail.com.