This was the perfect scenario for Coach Dungy and the Colts. Heading into the AFC Championship, the Colts were facing their rival, the Patriots, who they beat during the regular season. Dungy knew that this game would be the toughest of them all. He knew that the Patriots would be prepared for the game and he knew that they seem to play better in the playoffs than in the regular season.
It was a David and Goliath story. Dungy read this passage of the Bible to his players. He wanted to establish a few points to them. He wanted them to know that this was their time to shine. He wanted them to know that they needed to keep doing what they've been doing. He wanted them to know that through the battle, they must finish the job when the opponent is down. This was the motivation given to the Colts for their big game.
Sure enough, the Patriots were ready. They came out hot and got a 21-6 lead at halftime. Dungy told them in the locker room that they needed to believe and play team football. Do the little things right. The players believed and Coach Dungy did, too. It was time to execute in the second half to take down the giant.
The Colts' defense stepped up in a tremendous way. The offense also started firing on all cylinders. The Colts took the Patriots out of their game and took over. With an interception by Tom Brady, the Colts had clinched a berth in the Super Bowl.
Excitement filled the town of Indianapolis. Their beloved Colts were headed to the Super Bowl to face Dungy's friend, Lovie Smith and the Chicago Bears. This would be the year that an African American coach would win the Super Bowl.
Dungy gave the team the weekend off to relax and spend time with family. They were to fly to Miami on Monday to prepare for the big game. A few players gave their insight on playing in the Super Bowl and how to handle it all. After all, this was the biggest game of the year and the media would be going crazy.
The time had come. The Super Bowl was here. The Colts vs the Bears.
It had started raining in Miami before the game and rained throughout. Dungy doesn't mention a lot about the game in his book, but talks about his memories. As the game was coming to a close and Dungy knew that his team had a victory in hand, he started reminiscing about his journey. He thought back to playing college ball, playing in the NFL, coaching in different cities, marrying Lauren, having kids, losing his son, and finally reaching the Super Bowl. So much went through his head in those closing seconds and a gatorade bath brought him back to the game. The players were going crazy, along with most of the stadium.
The Colts had won a Super Bowl. The Lombardi Trophy was headed to Indianapolis. Dungy gave a lot of thanks to God in his post-game interview. He knew that God had given him strength and patience to reach where he is today. Dungy was filled with joy and couldn't resist shedding tears of happiness. It was a moment to remember.
I absolutely loved this book. It's great to read about the perspective of coaches and players in sports. I've always been a fan of Tony Dungy and had wanted to read this book for a while. I'm glad I finally got around to it. It's a great mix of sports and religion. Dungy shares a lot of his personal experiences that made him the man that he is today. I have great respect for Coach Dungy and wish him the best as he is now an NFL analyst.
No comments:
Post a Comment