A lot of the media had been saying that the Colts were about to have their window of opportunity close on them. Coach Tony Dungy felt differently about it. Dungy had a good feeling about the season ahead, and he was right.
In 2005, the Colts started out strong. Their offense started firing on all cylinders and set team records. They were winning big games and a lot of times by big margins. At 9-0, Dungy had a good feeling that this was the year that the Colts were going to win the Super Bowl.
Late one night, Dungy got a phone call. This isn't too rare, as Dungy will occasionally get a call about one of his players getting injured. This wasn't the case. Dungy's son, Jamie, had taken his life at the age of eighteen. There was no reason that Jamie had done this, but either way, was gone.
The Dungy family, trying to cope with their loss, started on arranging a funeral. They had it in Tampa Bay to make it easier for friends and family to make it. The ceremony was huge and people waited outside the church to give their condolences to the family. Dungy spoke at the ceremony, as well, but tried to make it more of a celebration of Jamie's life. He talked about all the good things Jamie had to offer to the world. His positive attitude was shared with everybody and tried to make friends with anyone who need one. Most importantly, Dungy spoke of how Jamie had accepted Christ at an early age. Dungy knew that Jamie would be going to heaven and that was the most important thing about him.
After the ceremony, Dungy and his wife, Laura, discussed how soon he should go back to work. They both agreed that Dungy should head back as soon as possible. For so long, Dungy had told his players that as hard as it may be, it's sometimes best to move on. It was now time for Dungy to practice what he had preached.
Dungy received a warm welcome from his team, along with a pile full of mail from supportive families and friends. It was a warm feeling to have others praying for him and his family.
Obviously, the season wasn't going to stop for Dungy, so it was time to keep preparing for the teams ahead. The Colts continued their winning streak and got to 13-0. With that, they earned home field advantage and a first round bye in the playoffs. Dungy then decided to rest his starters, so ended the season at 14-2.
Playoffs were around the corner and Dungy continued to preach about doing what they do best. Do the little things better than everyone else. The Steelers were first on the Colts' list. The game would be at home, but the Steelers would be looking for revenge after losing to the Colts in the regular season.
The Colts dug themselves into an early hole, but came back. In the fourth, the Colts were down 21-18 and the Steelers had the ball with about a minute to play. Dungy told the defense that if they wanted to win, the ball had to come loose. Sure enough, the defense popped the ball out of the Steelers' running backs hands and returned it to midfield. A miracle was about to happen. The Colts started running down the clock and got into field goal position. With the field goal, the Colts would send it into overtime. Unfortunately, Mike Vanderjagt missed and the Steelers won the game.
It was a miserable loss for the Colts, especially after such an unbelievable season. Dungy knew that the media would eat this up, but reassured his team that they would come back.
The next season rolled around and the Colts lost their top running back, Edgerrin James. Luckily, they had a good backup and had drafted a running back out of college, so they should recover. The team started at 9-0, but it was different than their 13-0 from the previous year. This year, the Colts were earning their wins on last drives and weren't blowing anybody out. Dungy actually liked this, as it made his team tough. They ended the season at 12-4.
The Colts made the playoffs and faced the Miami Dolphins in the first round. They won a touch, defensive game, 27-22. Their next game was against the Kansas City Chiefs, who had a tough running game in Larry Johnson. The Colts had the worst running defense in the NFL, but knew that this game would be different. Sure enough, the Colts held Johnson to thirteen carries for thirty-two yards. The game was won, 23-8. One more game until the AFC Championship, and that was against the Baltimore Ravens. This was another defensive game and midway through the fourth, the Colts were up 12-6. The Colts ran down the clock and put up one last field goal to seal the game.
The Colts had surprised a lot of people by making it this far, but knew that something special was happening. The Colts had won a lot of close, tough games, and were about to prepare for their rivals, the New England Patriots.
It's amazing how so much can happen in a season. Who would have thought that Dungy's son would have taken his life, especially after being such a positive kid? Dungy did handle the situation very well and showed that he was still trusting in God. He looked to God for help through the service, the rest of his games, and through time at home. He knew that everything would be difficult, but with God's help, he would manage to make it through. I applaud him keeping his composure through it all and being able to coach for the rest of the season. A lot of guys wouldn't be able to do it, but Dungy somehow managed. What a story to tell. The book is about finished and I can't wait to read the end, even though I know the end result.
No comments:
Post a Comment