Will McDonough

Will McDonough – Life, Career, and Memorable Insights

Discover the life of Will McDonough — Boston Globe legend, NFL insider, and sportswriting pioneer. Learn about his upbringing, rise in journalism, key moments, writing style, famous lines, and his legacy in American sports media.

Introduction

William “Will” McDonough (July 6, 1935 – January 9, 2003) was a towering figure in American sports journalism, especially in the context of the NFL and New England sports. For more than 40 years, as a reporter and columnist for The Boston Globe, he delivered insider reporting, sharp analysis, and hard-hitting scoops.

McDonough also expanded into television, becoming one of the early print journalists to assume an on-air role covering football for CBS and NBC. His career bridged the old-school newspaper era and the rise of multimedia sports coverage. His work remains a benchmark for sports reporters who aim to combine access, accuracy, and narrative flair.

Early Life and Family

Will McDonough was born July 6, 1935, in South Boston, Massachusetts.

McDonough attended The English High School, where he played multiple sports—baseball (as a pitcher) and football (as a quarterback) among them. His athletic involvement gave him an early sense of competition, team dynamics, and firsthand experience of the sporting world he would later cover.

Education and Entry into Journalism

After high school, McDonough attended Northeastern University’s School of Journalism. The Boston Globe’s sports department through a co-op/internship program.

Upon graduation, he was hired by the Globe full time in 1957. This marked the beginning of what would be a prolific, decades-long tenure at the paper.

Career and Milestones

The Boston Globe & NFL Coverage

In the early years, McDonough covered various local sports (Boston Celtics, Red Sox, etc.), but his major beat became professional football. Boston Patriots in the newly formed American Football League (AFL).

McDonough’s reporting style emphasized scoops, deep sources, and narrative context—not simply score reporting.

Later in his career, McDonough was elevated to associate editor at the Globe (1993) while continuing to write his Saturday “notes” column.

Television & Broadcast Work

McDonough was a pioneer among newspaper reporters who became TV analysts, maintaining his newspaper role concurrently. NBC’s NFL Live from 1991 to 1993. New England Patriots preseason games.

Around 1994, his TV work reportedly earned him a salary of about US$400,000 per year. Even as television exposure increased, he remained committed to print journalism.

Awards, Honors & Recognition

• McDonough was honored posthumously by being inducted (or recognized) by the National Sports Media Association in 2003.

• He received the Dick McCann Award, recognizing long and distinguished reporting on professional football.

• He earned multiple Massachusetts Sportswriter of the Year awards.

• He was a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize.

• He held honorary doctorates from University of Massachusetts Boston and Northwestern University.

Personality, Style & Controversy

McDonough was known for his tenacity, his network of sources, and his confidence in turning tough leads into published stories.

Yet his career also had controversies. Because of his close relationships with figures in the sports world, he was sometimes accused of bias—reporting friendly to his contacts, dismissive of critics.

One famous incident: in 1979, McDonough engaged in a physical altercation with Patriots cornerback Raymond Clayborn in a locker room, after Clayborn poked him in the eye.

Despite such tensions, many respected his reporting integrity, his access, and his insistence on backing every claim with strong sources.

Notable Works & Contributions

Will McDonough authored or co-authored several books related to sports and football:

• The NFL Century: The Complete Story of the National Football League, 1920–2000 by Will McDonough

• Final Season: My Last Year as Head Coach in the NFL (with Bill Parcells)

• Earlier works include The Patriots: The Personal Story of New England’s Quarterback Tom Yewcic (1965) and The World’s Greatest Team: A Portrait of the Boston Celtics 1956–69.

These works reflect his dual ambitions: to report current developments and to contextualize the history and mechanics of professional sports.

Famous Quotes & Observations

Here are a few representative lines that show McDonough’s voice, outlook, and journalistic philosophy:

• “I proved once and for all you don’t have to be pretty to be on television.”

• “When I started at the Globe 40 years ago, there were seven newspapers in Boston and now there are only two. … There were only three or four television stations in Boston and now there are a dozen.”

• “I think the greatest all-around athlete ever was Jim Brown. He played lacrosse, basketball and ran track at Syracuse.”

• “I predict that many teams will go out of business and the size of the leagues will be greatly reduced.”

• “The two major things that changed the makeup of all professional sports are money generated by television and courts that players went to in order to win their freedom as free agents.”

These reveal his awareness of structural shifts in sports (TV money, legal issues, free agency) as well as his willingness to weigh in boldly.

Legacy and Influence

Will McDonough’s influence on sports journalism is enduring:

• He helped define the “sports notes” column style: insider tidbits, front-office leaks, and context woven into a weekly wrap-up.

• He bridged print and broadcast sports media, showing that a reporter could thrive in both formats without sacrificing rigor.

• His insistence on strong sourcing, accountability, and accountability in journalism set standards for generations of sports writers.

• His children carried on his connection to sports media and management:
   • Sean McDonough is a prominent ESPN and Red Sox broadcaster.  • Terry McDonough has worked in NFL front offices.  • Ryan McDonough has been involved in NBA management.

When McDonough died of a heart attack at his home in Hingham, Massachusetts, on January 9, 2003, he was 67.

His life is a case study in how dogged reporting, cultivation of trust, and narrative skill can elevate sports journalism from mere game recaps to cultural commentary.

Lessons We Can Draw from Will McDonough

1. Access must be earned—and sustained
   McDonough’s sources trusted him because he delivered consistently, backed claims, and had credibility. Access is not a privilege; it's a responsibility.

2. Storytelling is more than facts
   He didn’t just report what happened; he explained why it matters—showing how teams, agents, rules, and money interact.

3. Adapt without surrender
   He moved into television yet remained true to his print journalistic roots, showing one can evolve media platforms without losing core integrity.

4. Embrace scrutiny and accountability
   Controversy will arise; what matters is how you respond—transparency and correction can preserve trust more than perfection.

5. Legacy is relational
   His impact lives on partly through his children’s careers, but more fundamentally through the journalistic standards he set for source-based, narrative-rich sports reporting.

Conclusion

Will McDonough’s life charts the arc of sports journalism—from the grind of the daily beat to the multiplatform age of television and national commentary. His work showed that covering athletes is one thing; understanding the structures that shape sports—money, contracts, league rules, personalities—is quite another.

If you’d like, I can also compile a timeline of his key scoops, or compare his approach to that of other legendary sportswriters (e.g. Red Smith, Peter Gammons). Do you want me to do that?