The strength of one man
How Tony Dungy is the unquestionable leader of the Colts
ROMER BAUTISTA STAFF
Much of the commotion surrounding the Indianapolis Colts this weekend has been about Peyton Manning, and whether or not his bruised thumb will cause him any problems in Super Bowl XLI. And rightfully so. After years of being touted as the best quarterback in the NFL, after winning two MVP awards, and after finally getting past his arch-nemesis, Tom Brady, it seems only fitting that the spotlight be squarely focussed on No. 18.
But lost in all this coverage is the story of another member of the Colts organization who has had to overcome a lot of adversity and tragedy to finally break through and get to the big game.
It is the story of head coach, Tony Dungy.
Coach Dungy is now in his fifth season patrolling the sidelines for the Colts. During his tenure, Dungy has compiled an eye-opening regular season record of 60-20, remarkably leading the Colts to the post-season in all five years. But just like with his all-pro quarterback, Dungy suffered a heartbreaking loss year after year.
However, on Dec. 22, 2005, Dungy sufferred his biggest loss yet, one that was far away from the football field. It was on that morning that Dungy was informed that his eldest son, James, had taken his own life, at the tender age of 18.
It was news that shook the entire NFL, such a tragic event that many around the sport would not have been surprised to see Dungy walk away.
But Dungy didn’t walk away. After the news broke, Dungy was a symbol of strength and poise as he addressed the public. Then, after Colts president Bill Polian gave Dungy free reign to miss as much time as neccessary, Dungy showed even greater strength in missing only one game, before returning back to the sidelines.
For those who know Dungy best, the manner in which he handled himself was not a surprise at all, because they know that Dungy’s greatest strength is his unwavering faith in his religious beliefs.
“The Lord has a plan,” said Dungy, in an interview with ESPN.com. “We always think the plans are A, B, C and D, and everything is going to be perfect for us and it may not be that way, but it’s still his plan. A lot of tremendous things are going to happen, it just may not be the way you see them.”
Looking at the Indianapolis Colts, it becomes obvious that Dungy has applied those beliefs to his football team. He knows that things will not go perfect during a season, and that there will definitely be plenty of bumps along the way.
And that has become the best way to describe the Colts memorable road to the Super Bowl — certainly not perfect, and definitely bumpy.
The Colts are a team that started out the season 9-0, quickly becoming the talk of the league. It was a position that Dungy’s Colts had been in for years, one that had constantly had a heart-breaking end. The Colts were once again looking like a team built for the regular season, only to fall apart in the playoffs.
Then something unfamiliar happened - - they lost their aura of invincibility. The Colts went on to lose four of their final seven games, even dropping a game to usual punching bags the Houston Texans.
In that span of seven weeks, the Colts went from Super Bowl favourites to a team that had more holes then a block of Swiss cheese. The defence couldn’t stop the run to save their lives, the running game wasn’t able to get going, and even Manning’s aerial attack had its problems. The Colts had become an afterthought.
But, as should have been expected of a team coached by Dungy, the Colts have bounced back from the adversity, without even batting an eyelash.
The team has shored up their defensive inefficiencies, and Manning got his high-powered offence revving again in the Colts’ win over the Patriots. The Colts are looking like the team that started the season with nine straight wins.
Come Sunday, Colts’ fans around the world are hoping that the Lord’s plans are for one more victory for Dungy and their team.
