It is one thing to claim some sort of faith in God, as many claim in modern culture, but not consistently attempt to live out that faith. it is quiet a more difficult, but rewarding, task to attempt to live one’s life according to the will of the God of the Bible. Coach Dungy represents what a Christian should be.
Thanks Coach.
Dungy keeps the faith
Coach wins fans on and off the field with his quiet decency
By Mark Montieth
mark.montieth@indystar.com
September 6, 2007
Tony Dungy stood on a cramped, oval-shaped platform as he accepted the Vince Lombardi Trophy following the Indianapolis Colts' Super Bowl victory over the Chicago Bears in Miami in February.
When it came time for him to take his turn at the microphone, he needed just a few sentences to transform it into a pulpit, from where he could deliver his message to more than 100 million television viewers and 75,000 fans at Dolphin Stadium.
"I'm so proud of our guys," Dungy proclaimed. "We took a hit early with Devin Hester (who scored a touchdown on the opening kickoff). But we talked about it. We said there's going to be a storm. The Lord doesn't always bring you directly through. Sometimes you have to work for it."
It was classic Dungy: serene, smiling and persistent in promoting his religious perspective.
The Colts coach has become one of the most popular sports figures in America. He is admired not only for his coaching achievements -- the Colts have won 75 percent of their regular-season games and reached the playoffs in each of his five seasons as their coach -- but for his seamless character.
Dungy is regarded as a beacon of decency in a harsh, violent industry, a man who stands for something beyond winning football games. That's why he's one of the rare personalities to transcend his sport. A lot of people who don't care for football care for him.
The Davie Brown Index, an independent celebrity rating service for advertisers, places Dungy in the top 15 of the 900 people it ranks for overall appeal, putting him on a level with actors such as Tom Hanks and Morgan Freeman. Among sports figures, he ranks second only to Hank Aaron.
"Clearly, U.S. consumers find him likable," Davie Brown Index spokesperson Chris Anderson said.
There's no greater measure of that than sales figures for Dungy's autobiography, "Quiet Strength." Released in July, it reached No. 1 on The New York Times' best-seller list the first week of August, becoming the first NFL-related book to claim that spot. It has sold more than 100,000 copies.
Even President Bush has taken notice, appointing Dungy to a two-year term on the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation, along with other prominent figures from sports, media and entertainment.
Having reached a peak level of visibility and popularity, Dungy will never have a bigger platform from which to express himself than now. He says he didn't seek it. He doesn't need it. He won't miss it when it's gone.
He does, however, plan to take advantage of the opportunities it brings. He considers that a fair exchange for the demands made on his time and privacy.
"I knew if we won the Super Bowl, I'd have 30 seconds where you've got a 100 million person audience," Dungy said. "That doesn't happen very often. I have tried to be ready for those situations and say things that are important to me.
"If I'm going to get my personal life disrupted and I'm not going to be able to take my family to the movies or out to eat, the shoe has to be on the other foot, too. If you think it should only be about sports, I should be able to come and go as I please. It goes both ways. So I guess I don't apologize for it."
Community activist
Dungy traces his willingness to speak out to his upbringing in Jackson, Mich. His parents, both educators, encouraged him to read the newspaper and formulate opinions on social issues. His mother, a high school speech teacher, was particularly encouraging, asking questions, questioning answers and insisting that he enunciate them clearly.
Perhaps that's why Dungy is more open-minded than politically minded. He was president of his ninth-grade class but never ran for office after that. Nor does he have interest in holding political office after he leaves coaching.
He appreciates a good level-headed debate, however, and saves most of his free time and energy for nonpartisan community involvement. Those traits were honed during his playing career with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1970s, when owner Art Rooney Sr. and coach Chuck Noll encouraged the players to have interests beyond football.
"We had a lot of spirited conversations about life in general," Dungy said. "We had a lot of guys who are doing some great things now. They had opinions. We talked about things on the bus and in the dorm room. We didn't always agree, but we respected each other's opinion, and we learned from it and grew from it."
Dungy's interest in the world outside of football has only grown over the years. The Colts media guide lists nearly 20 groups or events that he and his wife, Lauren, have founded or assisted. He also fields a relentless number of private requests to assist people who are experiencing a personal difficulty, from fellow front office employees to complete strangers.
"Sometimes you wonder if he's a magician who creates more hours than there are in a day," Colts owner Jim Irsay said. "I find it quite incredible how he's able to do so many things and be so many places and offer up so much service."
While Dungy is willing to use his fame to be a spokesman or contributor to causes, he has minimal interest in financially profiting from it. He's received numerous endorsement opportunities the past few years but has accepted only one. That was from Motorola, which supplies the in-game communications system for the Colts coaching staff.
"They talked me into it," he said. "It turned out to be a lot of fun. "But I've tried to stay away from that. I want people to think that if they do see me on TV saying something for the Boys and Girls Clubs or Big Brothers, it's because I believe in it, not because I'm getting paid to say something."
Few complaints
Religion can be a divisive subject, and any publicly expressed opinion on it is likely to draw criticism. Dungy, grandson of a Baptist minister, isn't immune. Some people thinks he blurs the line between church and football by crediting God for victories, as he did after the Super Bowl.
Rick Telander, a columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times, counted 10 references to "God," "Lord" or "Christian" in Dungy's post-game remarks after the Super Bowl and objected to Dungy stating that he and Bears coach Lovie Smith were "Christian coaches showing you can win doing it the Lord's way."
"Where does the sports teaching end and the proselytizing begin?" Telander wrote.
Dungy's most controversial moment came after he denounced gay marriage in a speech to the Indiana Family Institute in March. That drew criticism from various media outlets and letters of opposition and support.
He doesn't consider himself a crusader, however.
"I didn't take the offensive or the initiative," he said. "I just said I think marriage is man and woman. That's my opinion."
Irsay said he has received "very, very little" in the way of protests over Dungy's public viewpoints and has no problem with them.
Irsay, who describes himself as "a big-time spiritualist," often discusses religious and social issues with Dungy, and appreciates what he considers the coach's balanced perspective. Irsay recalled nearly getting into a fistfight with one former Colts coach who cracked under the pressure of the job and believes he has personally benefited from Dungy's example.
"I know that Tony is a very compassionate man and a tolerant man," Irsay said. "Everyone has the right to interpret God how they choose. They interpret different scriptures in their own perceptions.
"Tony works hard on his personal relationship with God and does his best to understand God's will for him. I don't think he goes past that."
Nor have Dungy's players complained. Gary Brackett, whom Dungy mentored after Brackett's mother, father and brother died within a 17-month period, says the players feel no pressure to conform.
"He doesn't try to put his beliefs on anyone else," Brackett said. "He says, 'This is how I feel. You don't have to feel this way.' "
The fact Dungy is accessible to the players for any topic of conversation and reveals no hypocrisy makes them more accepting of his beliefs.
"A lot of people say, 'Do as I say, not as I do.' He's one of those 'do as I do' guys," Brackett said.
"He's one of those guys who, if there's a paper on the ground, he's going to pick it up regardless of whether there's a camera on him or not. That's how he lives his life."
Without apology.
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