Tony Dungy's Faith Factor Will Outlive His Retirement

How His Legacy Has Been Established by More Than Wins and Losses

On January 12, with many "tears" as reported by TheIndyChannel, the Colts franchise and Tony Dungy announced his retirement from head coaching duties for the Indianapolis Colts. While this has been a decision years in the making, its impact will nonetheless be felt as a ripple throughout Indiana; not for Dungy's game-day successes, but for his ripple impact throughout Indiana as a man of faith in action.

Tony Dungy set a high bar for his players. He had high expectations of his players that taught them so much more than football, and it shows through their lack of off-field transgressions. Compare that with the embattled Indiana Pacers over the last few years, and it is easy to see what a difference one man can make. Even after tragedy struck his own family when his son James committed suicide in 2005, Dungy perservered. A Baptist Press article from 2006 recalls how that in his first public speaking engagement at the 19^th annual Athletes in Action Super Bowl Breakfast just a month and a half after James' death, Dungy encouraged people present, even evangelizing them:

"If God had talked to me before James' death and said his death would have helped all these people, it would have saved them and healed their sins, but I would have to take your son, I would have said no, I can't do that. But God had the same choice 2,000 years ago with His Son, Jesus Christ, and it paved the way for you and me to have eternal life. That's the benefit I got, that's the benefit James got and that's the benefit you can get if you accept Jesus into your heart today as your Savior."