The name of Jesus can be found on the tongues of many, but very few can show that Christ is in the center of their heart. Many profess Christ with their words but their actions are a direct contradiction to what they say they believe. When they speak of Jesus, no one really seems to listen because they see the lack of faith in that person’s heart and life. Some people, though, truly have Jesus in their heart and as a result, they speak of Christ when given the chance and because their hearts are directed in the right path, their words do not fall on deaf ears. Tony Dungy, the head coach of the World Champion Indianapolis Colts, is one of those men who live it as well as tell it, and his words are listened to intently by believers and non-believers alike. He has respect because of who he is and people listen to him because his faith is real. It’s a faith that he has held on to in the good times and in the bad.

His Story

Tony Dungy grew up in Jackson, Michigan and his parents were both in the field of education. Tony was encouraged as a child to learn and to hang on to faith. These two life teachings of his parents would begin the molding process in Tony’s life and it was two lessons that he would never forget. He played basketball and football in high school and eventually went on to play college athletics at the University of Minnesota. After college, Dungy was signed as a free agent by the Pittsburg Steelers and played two seasons as a part of the Steel Curtain. He won a Super Bowl there in 1978 and he caused a fumble that led to a Steelers touchdown. Then, Tony was traded to the San Francisco 49ers, where he played one season, before retiring after being traded and cut by the New York Giants. He had a three year playing career in the NFL, before setting his sights on coaching.

His coaching career began back at his alma mater and would lead back through Pittsburg, then to Kansas City and then Minnesota. Then, the Lord blessed Tony with a huge opportunity as he had been named the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. As coach of the Buccaneers, Dungy turned around a franchise known for losing. He led the Bucs to the playoffs on four occasions, leading them as far as the NFC Championship game. After two consecutive first round losses in the playoffs, Dungy was fired by the Buccaneers, a decision that was questionable at the time it was made, yet it was the perfect decision according to God’s will for Tony’s life.

In no time, he was interviewed and hired to be the new head coach for the Indianapolis Colts, led by superstar Peyton Manning. He led the Colts to the playoffs, yet each year it seemed like they would run into the New England Patriots, an obstacle that they could never get past. Dungy didn’t get discouraged; instead they rallied together for the next season, believing that God had something good in store for the organization. On December 22, 2005, Dungy was left to question exactly what the Lord was doing in his life as his son was found dead of an apparent suicide in Tampa, Florida. Though grieving and heavy hearted, Dungy’s faith never wavered. He knew that God had not turned against him and that the Lord would be able to do something positive with the tragedy that had occurred.

This season, the Colts finally overcame the Patriots and defeated the Bears in the Super Bowl. Within moments, Dungy’s faith could be heard all around the world. When questioned about the importance of being the first African American coach to win the Super Bowl, Tony pointed out the other African American coaches who had paved the way for him, then he said, “But again, more than anything, I’ve said it before, Lovie Smith and I, not only the first two African American but Christian coaches showing that you can win by doing it the Lord’s way. We’re more proud of that.� Here he stood as a man who had just made history, yet he knew that it was the Lord who had placed him there for this moment and for this opportunity to share his faith with millions.

What Can We Learn

The first thing is obvious. Though hard times may come, we have to remain faithful that the Lord is with us. He said after the Super Bowl, “The Lord isn’t always going to bring you directly through; sometimes, you’ve got to work for it.� This is a foundational truth in Tony Dungy’s life. Tony didn’t abandon the Lord when James died, but rather he drew closer to the Lord, understanding that true comfort and understanding would only come from the Lord of his life. As Tony drew closer to God, God helped him to see what happened to others as a result of the tragic ending to James’ life. Tony said at the Super Bowl Breakfast that, “I know in my heart that James’ death has affected many people and benefited many people and that makes me feel better.� The Lord showed him that others were touched and drawn to Him through something that was hard for Tony to endure. Tony pressed on and continued to seek the Lord and speak of the Lord and God blesses him each day, recently with a place in history and a microphone to share his story with the world.

The second thing that we can learn from Tony Dungy is to be a man of integrity and upstanding character. It is because of his character that people will listen to what he has to say about God because they believe that he is true in his faith. It starts with what they see in our lives and if they see good character, they will then listen to our message, which should be the message of the Lord. We live like hell most of the time and then wonder why people don’t listen when we talk about the Lord. It starts with character. Long after Tony’s speech after the games, the commentators were still talking about his faith and his character. The Lord continued to use the message of his faithful servant even after the spotlights were off of him for the day. We must learn to be men of character and then the Lord can speak through us and others then will truly hear.

Finally, we can learn from Coach Dungy that patience pays off. He could have easily given up after the Tampa Bay job or after any one of the losses to the Patriots. He could have listened to the negative press about his inability to win the big one. Instead, he continued to trust God and press forward with his life. He said after beating the Patriots, “I just have to thank the Lord. He did it in such a way that nobody would believe it and we have to give the Lord a lot of credit for giving us the strength to do it.� Had he listened to the skeptics, he would have left the sidelines after Tampa Bay, but he knew that the Lord had a better plan, if only he would stay patient. We cannot simply give up on things because the wait seems to be too long. It is all in God’s timing and not in ours.

We can learn so much from Tony Dungy, even down to his style of coaching. He teaches his coaches that they should put their faith and their family before football, whereas many coaches eat, drink, and sleep football during the season. It is a testament to how deep his faith truly is. He knows that he would have never made to where he is in life, nor would he have been able to withstand the blow of the death of his son, without a faith in a mighty and living God. Spiritual depth and impeccable character are things that Tony Dungy models every day of his life, even on the national stage, and it is something that we all need to model each day on the stage that God has given us.

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