DETROIT (BP) – An emotional Indianapolis Colts head coach Tony Dungy, in his first speaking engagement since his son’s funeral, headlined the 19th annual Athletes in Action Super Bowl breakfast Feb. 4 at the Super Bowl XL headquarters hotel in Detroit, Mich.
By Art Stricklin
Baptist Press correspondent
DETROIT (BP) – An emotional Indianapolis Colts head
coach Tony Dungy, in his first speaking engagement since his son’s
funeral, headlined the 19th annual Athletes in Action Super Bowl
breakfast Feb. 4 at the Super Bowl XL headquarters hotel in Detroit,
Mich.
New York Jets running back Curtis Martin received
the Bart Starr Award, given annually to an NFL player on the basis of
character and service. But all eyes were on Dungy, who was given two
standing ovations in telling of the pain and the lessons from his son’s
suicide in December.
Dungy said he had learned a lot from his sons, Eric,
14 and Jordan, 5, “but the most important thing came from James, who
would have been 19.”
“He was a Christian and is today in heaven. He was
struggling with the things of the world and took his own life. People
ask how I could come back to work so soon. I’m not totally recovered, I
don’t know if I ever will be, it’s still ever-painful,” he said, wiping
back a tear. “But some good things have come out of it.”
He said he has received dozens of letters from
people who heard him speak at his son’s funeral or at a Colts news
conference on the peace and assurance he has in his son’s salvation and
eternal destination. Dungy told of two people having received the gift
of sight from his son’s donated corneas and of the youth to whom he has
talked who are wrestling with similar problems as his son.
But Dungy used the most important lesson to drive
home his point before the packed ballroom full of former NFL players
and coaches, league officials and fans.
“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.”
Dungy said the biggest regret in his life is that
when he saw his son for the last time during the Thanksgiving holidays,
he did not hug him when he left but only gave him a causal goodbye.
He said he didn’t want to have the same regret at
the sold-out breakfast, as he led the crowd in prayer, asking those who
did not have Jesus in their life to accept Him for the very first time.
“I want you to know there is a peace in your mind
through God’s spirit when you know Jesus and know you will be in heaven
with Him.”
When he got up to speak, Dungy said it was the
eighth or ninth time he had attended the annual Super Bowl event, but
his dream remains to attend just 24 hours before he takes the field as
a Super Bowl coach.
“This is a tremendous event and it’s great to be
here, but I didn’t want to come here as the invited speaker, but as the
head coach of a Super Bowl team. My goal is to fill a couple of tables
with my players the day before the game. It hasn’t happened yet; I’ll
sure be happy when it does.”
Before he got up to speak, a brief video was shown
of Colts players talking about the impact Dungy had on their life
before and after the tragic death of his son.
“This is the way a Christian man should coach a
team,” punter Hunter Smith said. “I believe it’s the way Jesu