We don’t usually equate nitpicky Virgo with the bone-crushing commitment to mayhem that winning in the NFL requires. When we think of the sign Virgo, the image that usually comes to mind is probably prim and proper, fussy, puritanical and even dull. However, if you take a good look at the Jacksonville Jaguars, currently the number one playoff seed in the AFC, you may never think of Virgo in the same way again. Head coach Tom Coughlin and quarterback Mark Brunell are both Virgos, and their combination of perfectionism, work ethic, attention to detail and good, clean living have proven unbeatable in the brutally competitive world of professional football.

Success Starts at the Top

The Jaguars’ owners made a careful decision when they hired Tom Coughlin away from Boston College, making him the expansion team’s first head coach on February 21, 1994. Coughlin had a winning record and a mercilessly meticulous style, but Jaguars’ chairman Wayne Weaver has said that it was Coughlin’s morals and reputation as a committed family man that made him stand out from the competition. Coughlin doesn’t tolerate scandal and doesn’t hire troublemakers—an old-fashioned (but refreshing) attitude considering the current climate in the NFL.

The result: the Jaguars have made the playoffs in four of their first five seasons—an NFL expansion team record. They won their way into the AFC championship game in their second season in 1996, and are well positioned with a bye-week and home-field advantage to do the same now. Virgo coach Coughlin has micro-managed their success every step of the way.

What goes around comes around, and every Virgo has his critics. Coughlin’s exacting, dictatorial style is just too much for some players, as well as some of the press, fans and former employees. Virgos are rarely known for their people skills or charm, and even the most accomplished are often shy or socially awkward.

If Coughlin lacks a certain warmth or approachability, perhaps we should consider the rest of his chart, particularly his Ascendant and the First House. The Ascendant is the point rising on the horizon at the time of birth, and it tells us about a person’s outward personality and appearance.

Coughlin’s Ascendant falls in the latter part of the highly sensitive sign Cancer, but that softness is more than counterbalanced by the close proximity of a very severe Saturn in the earliest part of Leo. It is that Saturn that typifies the demanding, self-reliant father figure—the stern taskmaster who rarely cracks a smile. Coughlin’s physical appearance even bears testimony to the disciplined presence of Saturn in Leo. He has the ruddy complexion and burning stare of a fire sign, but he is spare and lanky—no fat, no fuss, no frills.

Virgo Quarterback Mark Brunell

All of this stands in marked contrast to the personality of the Jaguars’ lovable Virgo quarterback, Mark Brunell. Brunell is a working man’s player—polite and humble off the field, but a diehard daredevil on the job. He is blessed with a fortunate Pisces Ascendant that gives him a more sympathetic personality and a warmer, even cuddly appearance—the perfect, media-friendly foil for coach Coughlin! A deeply religious husband and father, Brunell guards his image as a team leader and role model very carefully. With his Virgo attention to detail and tireless work ethic, he has mastered the range of skills for his position. Never flashy or ostentatious, he has attained that seemingly effortless perfection that comes with endless practice. Like his team, he is the complete package.

The success of the Jacksonville Jaguars team reflects the passion of their Virgo leadership. Did you think you would ever see the words “Virgo” and “passion” in the same sentence? But there is a very special passion behind that relentless quest for excellence—a purity and focus that pushes them on and inspires those around them to work harder. By leaving nothing to chance, the Jaguars have built a multi-pronged offense, a stifling defense and snappy special teams. They lead the NFL with a 14-2 regular season record, and all with little to no distractions either on or off the field. Coach Coughlin wouldn’t tolerate anything less. So bring on the playoffs!