“Among other things, I learned patience. Not everything is solved with haste and urgency. You can be urgent and patient at the same time. Tony was always good at keeping everything in perspective.” – Ronde Barber, Tampa Bay Buccaneers Cornerback
“The greatest things I have learned from Coach Dungy would have to be humility and consistency. He truly leads by example, and he does it consistently. This allows people to really see his faith every single day, and that’s the most important thing.” – Ben Utecht, Indianapolis Colts Tight End
“He accepts the calling he has been given. He is called to glorify God and be a champion. He walks it, talks it, lives it. … You see it in his eyes. He will compete and fight until the end, all the while smiling at his opponents.” – Shaun Alexander, Seattle Seahawks Running Back
“Anytime we had a bad day on defense, people would ask him what happened, and he’d just say, ‘Well, we just have to tackle a little bit better.’ He never ran the players out there. He would just say that we needed to coach them a little better, and at the end of the day he was right. That’s what we needed to do better.” – Herman Edwards, Kansas City Chiefs Head Coach
“Tony is a man of such inner strength that you can’t help but be inspired by him. … He is consistent, composed and compassionate. I’ve never met another coach like him, and I don’t expect to. From Tony, I have learned that you can be successful while maintaining your integrity, that you can be composed while being competitive, and that you can leave a legacy based on character.” – Michele Tafoya, ESPN Monday Night Football Reporter
“One lesson? How about 10, 20...100? First and foremost is that his grace, integrity, character and humility are real-men traits that bring out the best in yourself and others. Tony is the most courageous man I have encountered in the NFL. He lives out two great biblical commands—to love God and to love others. There is no hypocrite in him. I can’t say that about many people. I can’t say that about me...but every time I speak with Tony, or I’m around him, or I hear of other people’s experiences with him, the more I want to be like him.” – Chris Mortensen, ESPN Senior NFL Analyst
“The most important thing Tony Dungy stands for is his deep-rooted belief that while you may love your job, and while it may be extremely important, it is not THE most important thing. Family is…PERIOD. It’s how he coaches, how he teaches, how he lives his life and how he guides his players. Your family and faith are more important than football or whatever job you do.” – Stuart Scott, ESPN Anchor
“Tony Dungy has taught us that you don’t have to yell, scream or curse to command respect. He leads with quiet dignity and warmth. Also, no matter how busy we are there’s always time to reach out and help someone.” – Suzy Kolber, ESPN Monday Night Football Reporter
“One thing that people don’t understand about coaching in the NFL are the tremendous pressures. Tony Dungy taught me a great deal about handling those. Under all the pressure, I knew that his stomach was turning, but his demeanor was awesome. That countenance that he continues to display to this day was one that we all wish we had in pressure-packed times in our lives.” – Les Steckel, FCA President/CEO
“In a profession that is full of reactions, Coach Dungy has chosen to be a responder, and he responds as Christ would respond. Jesus didn’t react to the people who came against Him, He responded to them in love, humility and justice. That’s how I feel Coach Dungy runs his family, his team and his life.” – Hunter Smith, Indianapolis Colts Punter
“Tony Dungy is a mighty man of valor and honor. It is so refreshing, that in a world and profession where so many shout, ‘Look at me,” Coach Dungy goes about his job quietly, efficiently and without fanfare. In the midst of trials and tribulations, whether in football or the game of life, Tony remains steadfast and unmovable in doing that which is right…the result is a true leader and champion.” – James Brown, CBS NFL Today Host
Outstanding individual.
James 4:10
Tom Landry, Roger Staubach and Tony Dungy are three true blue bloods enhancing the human race.
It was a testament to hear a large number of NFL players, coaches, and coverage folks talk about how it was good to see "good guys" like Peyton, Marvin Harrison, and Dungy FINALLY get a Lombardi Trophy.
Bill Polian was also long overdue. He built Buffalo's 4-straight Super Bowls team, he made the Carolina Panthers an instant contender in their second year of existence, and he brought the Colts to dominance soon after he arrived here. He isn't a "nice guy" when it comes to football issues, but he is certainly talented.
I credit the Colts current string of success to 4 men: Dungy, Polian, Peyton, and Offensive Line guru/coach Howard Mudd. Mudd takes undrafted guys and makes them into Pr Bowl players. Manning is glacially slow, yet is the least-sacked full-time QB over the past 5 years.
The Colts are 50-14 in the last 4 seasons, 6-2 in the playoffs in the last 3 seasons, and have more playoff appearances in the last 8 seasons than any other team. Peyton is barely halfway through his career (Favre and Marino both went 17+ seasons, Manning has had 9), and yet he's in the Top Ten all-time in almost every meaningful QB statistic: #7 in TDs, #13 in yards (only 3000 yds from #9 Montana, and he averages 4100 per season), #10 in completions, #3 QB rating all-time, #3 in 400 yd passing games, #1 in passing TDs in a season, #1 in QB rating for an individual season, most consecutive 4 TD games in NFL history, etc)
Marvin is a little closer to retiring (he'll turn 35 this season, but most elite WRs last until they are 40-ish... Brown, Rice, Carter, Reed, Monk), but he's by far the most humble elite WR out there. (Outrageously inflated egos seem to be the norm for top WRs today.) He's #6 in receiving yds all-time (only 1240 yds out of 2nd place), #4 in receptions (79 behind 2nd place), #4 in rec TDs, #8 in TDs (just 22 behind 3rd place), #1 in receptions in a season... and he hit most of those numbers faster than Jerry Rice did. If he stays healthy and keeps up his insane off-season work-outs (much like Rice), he actually has a chance to surpass at least one of Rice's untouchable marks. (He needs 527 rec, 85 TDs, and 9200 yds to catch Rice's receptions figure. He averages 90 rec, 1200 yds, and 11 TDs per season, so he'll need at least 6 years to get the rec record... he'd turn 41 that season. Rice lasted until he was 43.)