Tony Dungy, Leader of Men

By Tim McManus

With the rain cascading from the sky, down the Lombardi Trophy and to his hand, Tony Dungy again took center stage to deliver a message.

This time, it was from the other side of tragedy.

"The Lord doesn't always take you in a straight line. He doesn't always take you on a direct path," Dungy said. "I think he tests you sometimes to see if you're going to keep the faith and hang in there."

Just over a year ago it was an altar, not a stage, that Dungy ascended to speak to the gathered masses. No roars of applause, but silence as he stepped to the podium to eulogize his fallen son's life. Just days prior -- December 22, 2005 -- 18-year-old James Dungy had been found dead in his suburban Tampa, Fla., apartment in what was later ruled a suicide. The largest test of a family's life, a father's life, had just been handed down.

Dozens upon dozens filled the church, part out of respect and part in search of direction. Thousands more gazed at their newspaper or through their TVs, to eavesdrop as a public figure spoke about a most personal matter. And even though no man could have bore more pain at that moment, Dungy provided guidance. He reaffirmed his faith, then told the huddled crowd where to go from here.

"I want to urge you to continue being who you are because our young boys in this country, they need to hear from you," he said. "If anything, be bolder in who you are. Because our boys are getting a lot of the wrong messages about what it means to be a man in this world. About how you should act, and how you should dress, and how you should talk, and how you should treat people. They don't always get the right message, but you guys have the right messages."

Just days prior, the Colts had dropped their first game of the regular season, ending their attempt at a perfect season and signalling a tough stretch to come. They would fall to eventual Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh in the divisional round of the playoffs, then lose Edgerrin James to free agency in the offseason.

It was not the redemption story many were pulling for. It was not the straight line.

"He's had a lot of good speeches after some of those playoff losses when most guys can hardly say anything and it's hard to hold your head up and stay positive. He kept believing," said Peyton Manning of Dungy. "I remember after all those losses, he said, 'We're going to go to work in March and we're going to be better for this.' And it's hard to believe a man when he says that, but you do believe him."

This year, Indy stumbled again late, their inability to stop the run leading to a drop in the standings and serious skepticism from the outside world. It edged out Kansas City and Baltimore, then appeared to be at the end of the line when New England assumed an 18-point advantage in the AFC Championship game.

He doesn't always take you on a direct path...

Back they roared, staging the largest comeback in championship game history to down their biggest rival and claim a spot in the Super Bowl.

Down they went again early this past Sunday, as Devin Hester returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown to give the Bears a 7-0 lead. The Colts again came back, this time to finally capture their profession's ultimate prize.

For Dungy, it was a personal triumph. A crowning achievement. The most satisfying moment of his career. He spent little time on any of that afterwards, instead using the platform to guide once again.

"The message of this team is about perseverance," said Dungy. "You are going to be disappointed at times. You're not going to win every game. Every season is not going to end up the way you'd like it. But the real test of a man and the test of a champion is, can you continue to fight when things don't go your way?"

The questions came about personal satisfaction. About being the first African American head coach to win it all. About the achievements of Tony Dungy.

Dungy instead deflected praise to the men that played for him and came before him. He used his time to teach the belief system that has sustained him throughout his life.

No words told us exactly how the man was feeling on a personal level. But an excerpt from his son's funeral gives us the best insight into where Dungy's mind was as he hoisted the Lombardi Trophy amidst the storm.

"We talked on the phone a lot the last few days. We're always talking about what was going to happen. The last few days he was saying -- as the guys on the team know he would -- he was saying: 'Dad, we're going to the Super Bowl, and when we do, will I be on the field?'

"And I said: 'Yeah, man. You know the hard part is getting there, but if we do, you know you're going to be on the field.'"


Tim can be reached at tmcmanus@phanaticmag.com

***Photo courtesy of the Associated Press***

The Phanatic Magazine will have continuing Super Bowl XLI coverage through Tuesday.