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Billy Napier honors late father with philanthropic gift to boost ALS research at UF

On3 imageby: Keith Niebuhr07/17/25On3Keith

ATLANTA — Florida Gators football coach Billy Napier shared a personal story Wednesday at SEC Media Days from his childhood in Georgia—one that highlighted one of the most influential figures in his life: his father.

“My dad was a high school coach in Chatsworth, Georgia. Dad’s teams, when they would get eliminated from the playoffs, we used to get in the car every Friday growing up and go watch a playoff game in this state,” Napier recalled. “I can still remember getting in that pickup; I’d be in the middle seat, and one of my dad’s coaches would be in the passenger’s seat, and we would go around.”

Bill Napier passed away in 2017 at the age of 60 after a battle with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. Yet the man Billy Napier once described as “my hero” continues to have a lasting impact on his son’s life.

On the same day the Florida coach addressed reporters in Atlanta, it was announced that Napier—motivated by his personal experience with ALS—has made a philanthropic gift to help establish an ALS research fellowship at the Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases at UF Health.

The first-ever Napier ALS Fellow, named in honor of Bill Napier, began on July 1.

According to a release from UF Health announcing the fellowship, “The newly created ALS Fellowship will support advanced training and research in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis… a progressive and currently incurable neurodegenerative disease. The one-year fellowship will enable a fellow to focus on clinical research aimed at improving care and understanding of ALS, a mission deeply aligned with the goals of the Fixel Institute and Coach Napier’s inspiration.”

Billy Napier was eager to help give a boost to ALS research

“My family and I are thankful for the work that is being done at the Fixel Institute. We are excited to partner with them to help in the research area to work towards solutions, improvement of processes relative to ALS and other neurological diseases,” Napier said in the release. “There is great leadership at the Fixel Institute. [Fixel Institute director Dr. Michael Okun] and his team have been outstanding, and we are excited to see the impact of the work over the next year through the fellowship.”

Dr. A. Enrique Martinez Nunez is the inaugural recipient of the Napier ALS Fellowship. According to UF Health, Nunez’s research during the fellowship will focus on environmental and occupational factors that may influence ALS risk—an area of growing importance in efforts to understand potential causes and develop prevention strategies.

“Coach Napier’s gift is a powerful example of how personal stories drive momentum in research and care,” Okun said in the release. “It reminds us that behind every research question is a patient, a family and a story that deserves to be heard and honored.”

Facts about the Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases at UF Health:

  • The Institute handles more than 35,000 patient visits each year.
  • Total federal research funding to programs and research—including participation from 30-plus departments across various UF and UF Health colleges—exceeds $65 million.
  • The Institute provides multidisciplinary, patient-centered care for a wide range of complex neurological disorders, including Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease and more.

Donations to support the Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases can be made HERE.

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