Tony Dungy: A Winning Combination of Faith and Football

Tony Dungy distinguished himself as the first black coach to lead a team to a super bowl win. He was the only pro football player to throw an interception and intercept a pass in the same game. As a college player for the University of Minnesota he broke records for most completed passes, touchdown passes and passing yards. In high school, he quarterbacked his team. For as long as he can remember, Tony Dungy describes himself as a leader.

Tony Dungy freely states that his faith and his family take precedence over football and he understands when players feel the same, even if their priorities cause absence from practice or a game. Watching him coach, fans and other coaches wonder how he remains so calm. His philosophy is that a coach is a teacher and should never belittle or scream at the men he teaches. Coach Dungy reminds his players that it takes all 53 of them to make a team and win a game. To him, everyone matters.

After his tenure as an assistant pro football coach, Coach Dungy considered leaving football and entering prison ministry, a calling he had always considered. Instead, he became a head football coach which eventually led to his super bowl win.

He is so admired by the public that he ranks second behind Hank Aaron as the top sports spokesperson. Yet when he has been interviewed he says that what he wants the public to know about him is that everything he does is for the glory of God. Coach Dungy wrote and published his memoir, "Quiet Strength: The Principles, Practices, and Priorities of a Winning Life." His second book is expected to be published in 2009.