As the 2004 season rolled around, Tony Dungy was excited to make a few more additions to the team. Bob Sanders, a safety from the University of Iowa, was drafted by the Colts in the second round of the NFL draft. The team needed a key player on defense and Dungy felt that Sanders would fill that role.
Sadly, after the draft, Dungy received word that his father had been put in the hospital. Dungy couldn't believe this because his dad would bike five miles to eat breakfast and then five miles back home. He would also visit the YMCA for a swim workout two days a week. Being put in the hospital just didn't make sense to Dungy.
Dungy's father was put in the hospital for leukemia. He was in the Indiana University School for Medicine, a world class oncology center. Fortunately, Dungy's father didn't experience any sort of side effects that the doctors had mentioned. For Dungy, this was a good time to spend with his father.
They spent the time reminiscing of old memories. Fishing, football games, old movies, and other past topics were brought up in their time together. Dungy was glad for the time he was able to spend with his dad. It was a time of thinking, too. Dungy realized that his father spent a lot of quality and quantity time with his sons. Being a coach in the NFL, Dungy wasn't always able to do that. He started to be more conscious of that and decided that it was time to pay more attention to his family.
Later on, Dungy's father was released from the hospital after the leukemia had gone into remission. It was a great day for Dungy, knowing that his dad would get a chance to see his son coach in the Super bowl. Unfortunately, a week later, Dungy's father passed away. An extremely low white blood cell count caused his immune system to become vulnerable and obtain an infection.
Dungy went back to the team after a hard loss. His players were very empathetic and shared their condolences.
As the season was about to start, Dungy kept on preaching about doing the little things right. He showed the team a movie, Death by Inches. The movie gives an illustration about how you can be so close to something, but not quite make it. Dungy wanted to make sure the guys knew that in order to make their goals, they have to do those little things right so that they don't fall short.
Dungy got in a little trouble with the media with a couple interviews. The first one was over a skit that was showed right before a Monday Night Football game. It was with Terrell Owens, the Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver, and an actress from Desperate Housewives. It was a sexual skit and Dungy felt there was no need for it before a family sport. He expressed his concern in an interview, but had a small comment about using an African American male. Male came pouring in over how he was a racist. Of course, this isn't the case for Dungy. He wanted to make the point that there's no need for that kind of junk on TV, especially around a football game.
The season was another great one as the Colts went 12-4 and won the AFC South Division. Peyton Manning was developing into an elite quarterback and had great weapons in Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne, and Brandon Stokley. Once again, the season came to and end with a loss. The New England Patriots had dominated the game and went on the win the Super Bowl. Another learning experience for the Colts.
How hard would it be to lose your father and then go back to coach a group of men in a tough, emotional sport? Dungy must really love the sport, but more so his family. He mentioned that his dad would have wanted him to go back to his team, and he did. Dungy has concentrated on his family a lot, and I feel that in being an NFL coach, he has done well. He doesn't seem too satisfied with himself. It's great to see a true dad be so conscious of his family. I hope to become a father someday and I'm starting to mold a father type mentality around him. He's a great man to look up to and I think all fathers should learn from him.
No comments:
Post a Comment