Insider: The making of Tony Dungy, Hall of Famer
CANTON, Ohio — Had any one of a thousand things not occurred at the exact perfect moment, had any dilemma prompted a slightly different decision, perhaps Tony Dungy would not have been standing on this stage receiving his sport’s highest honor.
Had he not been a failed quarterback, had he never played in Chuck Noll’s secondary, had he never crossed paths with Dennis Green or had he never been fired after taking a team to new heights, maybe Dungy would not be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
But things happened just as they were destined, and the series of events brought the Indianapolis Colts’ Super Bowl-winning coach to the pinnacle of pro football here in Canton.
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So, when it came time to accept the honor Saturday night in the induction ceremony, Dungy didn’t focus on his achievements. Instead, he concentrated on the making of Tony Dungy.
The contributors to that effort came from far and wide.
From his mother, Cleomae, Dungy learned to stay true to his values — something that served him so well and contributed to his revolutionary approach to coaching.
“One of her favorite Bible verses,” Dungy said, “was Matthew 16:26: What would it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? I know that she’s happy to know her son never forgot that verse.”
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From the Pittsburgh Steelers, his first professional team, Dungy learned to play defensive back. It was a turning point that gave him the foundation he would later use to become one of the NFL’s brightest defensive coaching minds.
From Noll, the Steelers’ coach, Dungy learned football was his job, not his identity.
“There was more to life than just football,” Dungy said, “and he wanted to help us find our life’s work.”
Shortly thereafter, Noll was there to ensure that happened.
“My playing career only lasted one more year,” Dungy said of playing a final year in San Francisco, “and, suddenly, at 25 years old, I was looking for a real job. That’s when coach Noll called me and gave me that chance to start my life’s work. Coming back to Pittsburgh was the beginning of my coaching journey.”
From a group of 10 men, who likely never knew their impact, Dungy learned the value of persistence in the face of seemingly long odds.
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“I’d like to say a special thank you to 10 special men … the African-American assistant coaches in the NFL in 1977,” Dungy said. “Many of them never got the chance to move up the coaching ladder like I did. But they were so important to the progress of this league. Those men were like my dad: They didn’t complain about the lack of opportunities. They found ways to make the situation better. They were role models and mentors for me and my generation of African-American players who, in the ‘80s, were trying to decide whether we could make coaching a career or not.”
And from the likes of Warren Sapp, Derrick Brooks, Marvin Harrison and Peyton Manning, Dungy learned the definition of greatness. As he spoke Saturday, he asked all of his former players, both from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Colts, to stand and be recognized. What a cast it was.
“You don’t win in the NFL without players, and was I ever blessed with players,” Dungy said. “As you see, several of them are in the Hall of Fame already. Others are certainly going to follow them. There is no doubt these guys are responsible for me being up here today.”
In their own special way, all the aforementioned played key roles in the making of a man who is so widely revered. His players loved him. The fans admired him. His owners – even those of the Buccaneers, who dismissed him – are forever indebted to him.
So many people, experiences and twists of fate combined for the making of Tony Dungy.
And, now, the end result of it all? A Hall of Famer.
Follow IndyStar reporter Stephen Holder on Twitter: @HolderStephen.