I don't have the strength or wisdom to get through a single day without guidance and grace from God.
Tony DungyRead
Football is a vocation and an opportunity for ministry. But it's not a life.
Interpretation
Football is important but should not be mistaken for the entirety of life.
Tony Dungy's quote emphasizes that while football can serve as a meaningful vocation and a chance to connect with others spiritually, it is not the ultimate purpose of life. It highlights the importance of viewing sports in a broader context, where relationships and personal growth take precedence over merely winning games.
In practice
During a team meeting to discuss our values and purpose in sports.
I don't have the strength or wisdom to get through a single day without guidance and grace from God.
You should never be defined by what you do, by the things you have; you've got to define yourself by who you are and who you impact and how you impact people. And that's the thing I try to get across to my players.
When Jim Irsay called me five years ago, he told me, 'I want you to be our coach and help us win the Super Bowl.' He told me, 'We are going win it the right way. We are going to win it with great guys; win it with class and dignity. We are going to win it in a way that will make Indianapolis proud.'
People look at me and see a calm, cool guy on the sidelines and I want them to know that my Christian faith affects my coaching and everything I do.
God’s definition of success is really one of significance-the significant difference our lives can make in the lives of others. The significance doesn’t show up in won-loss records, long resumes, or the trophies gathering dust on our mantels. It’s found in the hearts and lives of those we’ve come across who are in some way better because of the way we lived.
Our goal was to win, to win a Super Bowl, but also to win in the right way, to be role models to our community, to represent Indianapolis, the state of Indiana and the National Football League.
I think, as a rookie, what guys need to be judged on most coming in the league is feel. Not skill, not shooting, not stats, not even passing, but that feel for the game, the ability to read situations and make the right play.
In female sports, if you're gay, most likely your team knows it pretty quickly. It's very open and widely supported. For males, it's not that way at all. It's sad.
Tennis is the loneliest sport.
In football, the only game I know is the 90-minutes game. It's not mind games; I don't try to do that.
The ballplayer who loses his head, who can't keep his cool, is worse than no ballplayer at all.
You can win tournaments when you're mechanical, but golf is a game of emotion and adjustment. If you're not aware of what's happening to your mind and your body when you're playing, you'll never be able to be the very best you can be.
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