Before I was really into football, I still knew who former football coach Tony Dungy was. I was impressed when I saw his football team dressing up in suits and ties and I heard about how he was mentoring his players to be better people.
Dungy understood that young men, especially black young men, and those without two parents, often start off with a disadvantage in life. He wanted to show these men, many of whom had no male role models in their life, how to present themselves and how to behave. And how to be role models for others.
He set these young men up for success – both in football and in life.
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Dungy became the first black coach to win the Superbowl and he was a great role model and mentor.
In an interview with CBN’s 700 Club, Dungy said about the men on his team, “I want them to leave here as better people and better men than when they came. My favorite verse in the Bible is Matthew 16:26, where Christ says, ‘What would it profit a man to gain the whole world but forfeit his soul?’ So if they come and play for me, win a lot of games, make a ton of money, but they don’t leave as better people, I haven’t done my total job. Winning is what we get paid for but I think my job is more than that.”
Dungy grew up in a household that valued educational accomplishments as much as sports. His mom would talk to him about “doing the right things, the right ways and for the right reasons.” Those lessons led him to be a great coach on and off the field.
Recently, Dungy made waves when he defended his appearance with republican Florida Governor Ron DeSantis when the governor signed a new law promoting involved fatherhood.
Dungy tweeted about the people who criticized him about it. He said, “2 days ago I spoke on behalf of a Florida bill that supports dads & families and it offended some people.”
He added some Obama quotes about the same issue from 2008 during his presidential campaign and added, “14 years ago President Obama said the same things almost verbatim. I’m assuming people were outraged at him too. I am serving the Lord so I’ll keep supporting dads and families.”
Tony Dungy. Continuing to do the right things, the right ways and for the right reasons.
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