Tony Dungy

So I have never been one to get too emotional when coaches leave or retire because their legacy was on the field and they probably did some good things, but nothing to get choked up about. But Tony Dungy was different. He left his mark on the field, turning around a dreadful Tampa Bay franchise and leading Indy to a Super Bowl. Oh and he is the only black coach to ever win a super bowl. That should speak volumes to everyone: it doesn't matter what color your skin is, but who you are inside of you. He also earned the respect of his player by his quiet yet firm demeanor and his genuine care for his player.

But that is not what defines Tony Dungy. What defines him is what he did off the field, and that is what makes him different. He has never been bashful about his faith, but he never tried to impose it on people. I honestly think he lives out the Gospel everyday, because he loves people genuinely and without a hint of condemnation. When his son committed suicide in 2005. He spoke about how, even though he was still grieving, all the good that had come from it. All the people whose lives had been changed because of this horrific event. He said: “Why does God allow pain in our life?” Dungy asked in his emotionally charged speech. “Because we’re loved by God and the pain allows us to head back to our Father.”

Tony Dungy retired from football, at the age of 53, so he could spend more time with his family and work with troubled and at-risk youth. He's going to work with youth in prison. He's going to try to be a father figure to them, because most of them have none. He's doing what Jesus wants him to do, and that is what makes him different. His legacy will go far beyond the football field, even if its not covered in the papers. Because Tony Dungy will be helping the least of these, and that is what makes him different from other people in this world.