In the chaos of a 2017 Arizona State practice, Billy Napier stood on the Kajikawa field with a clipboard in one hand and grief in the other. Just hours earlier, he’d received a gut-punch news no son ever wants to hear. His father, Bill Napier, had passed away. But there he was, headset on, calling plays, pushing through. What kind of a man loses his father and still leads practice like that? But that’s exactly how his dad raised him. 

It wasn’t just football for Billy Napier. It never was. His father, a legendary Georgia high school coach with 94 wins at Murray County, had their lives built on grit, discipline, and an unshakeable belief in doing things the right way. And when ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis – a progressive neurodegenerative disease) came for him, Bill Napier didn’t fold. Instead, he taught, coached, and led right to the end. And in the toughest moments, he left behind a 5-word mantra that would shape his son forever.

In Episode 2 of SEC Football: Any Given Saturday, Billy Napier walked viewers through a deeply personal chapter. As the camera panned in on a tribute wall in his office, the Florida HC pointed to a photo. “That’s dad there,” he said. Beneath his picture was written, “ALS Champion.” It also has a 5-word message pinned that reads, “No complaining! Make a difference!” And that statement was a final marching order from a man who refused to be defined by disease. 

Billy Napier fought back tears as he recalled how his dad faced ALS with a warrior’s mindset. “My dad was diagnosed with ALS, and that was very challenging,” he said. “And the way he was able to take that on, he said, ‘Look, we’re not going to complain.’ His ability to navigate that… I don’t think I saw the guy flinch… all the way to the very end.” The Gators HC revealed that Bill Napier made him a better leader who disregards the hype and trusts his gut. “I think when adversity presents, you choose character, or you can choose to compromise,” he added. “I think ultimately for me, you’re not going to make everybody happy. We gotta do what we gotta do, go beat Tennessee.” And that became his blueprint.

It started in 2013. The Napier family, gathered on vacation, was blindsided by Bill Napier’s diagnosis. Billy Napier’s immediate response was classic coach mode. Who are the experts? What’s the game plan? “We’re going to beat this,” he said. But incurable ALS doesn’t play fair. “Every door I opened,” he revealed, “got shut right back in my face.” Recognizing the tension, the father sat his son down during a visit home. “You’ve got to get your act together okay?” he told him. “We’re not going to complain. We’re not going to make any excuses. I’m going to try to find a way to make a difference.” And he did before his condition claimed his life at 60. 

Bill Napier coached until he couldn’t walk. Called plays from a golf cart. Then from a wheelchair. And in his final acts of leadership, he created scholarships to help Georgia kids chase their dreams even as his own body betrayed him. And now, Billy Napier is making sure his father’s impact doesn’t stop with a memory.

A legacy that still coaches Billy Napier today

At SEC Media Days in July, Billy Napier shared childhood memories of road-tripping to playoff games with his dad. That same day, the University of Florida announced the launch of the Napier ALS Fellowship at the Norman Fixel Institute. The gift, driven by the HC’s personal journey, will fund cutting-edge ALS research and train doctors like Dr. A. Enrique Martinez Nunez to study causes, treatments, and hopefully find solutions.

For Billy Napier, fighting ALS isn’t just about science. It’s about honoring the coach who never stopped coaching. “My family and I are thankful for the work that is being done at the Fixel Institute,” he said. “There is great leadership at the Fixel Institute… We are excited to see the impact of the work over the next year through the fellowship.”

And as the Gators’ head coach follows in his “hero’s” footsteps, somewhere, maybe from the sidelines of Heaven’s team, Coach Bill Napier is still whispering that 5-word play call. “No complaining! Make a difference!”