Newsmakers

NFL Legend Reveals Biggest Lesson God Taught Him About Faith, Football, and Fame

Famed football coach Tony Dungy is known for his devotion to football as well as his character, compassion, and faith. Dungy, a former NFL defensive back who went on to coach the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Indianapolis Colts, has also been outspoken about his biblical views and what matters most in life. In a recent interview with CBN News, Dungy revealed the biggest lesson he believes God has taught him throughout his decades-long career in football. "Our mother's favorite verse in the Bible that she passed on to us was Matthew 16:26: 'What would it profit a man if you gain the whole world, but forfeit your soul?'" he said. "And, unfortunately, I saw a lot of that in 30 years in the National Football League." Dungy continued, "I saw young men climb the ladder as high as you could climb, get everything that you could imagine from an earthly standpoint — acclaim, fame, money, notoriety, and look at them on the inside and say, 'Boy, there's something missing, and this is not good.'" The NFL legend said he didn't want to experience the same lostness. Beyond that, Dungy wanted to prevent any players on his team from feeling such profound disconnectedness. That's why he delivered a powerful message to every rookie who came onto his roster. "When I got our rookie class coming in every year, I would say the same thing: 'Enjoy the spoils of the National Football League. It's great. Yes, you can provide for your families, your parents, you can do a lot of things, but if that's all you're in it for, you're going to be in shock at the end of the day.'" Dungy said he wanted the players to know they needed a source from which to get "real satisfaction" and said it's "got to be spiritual." Years later, he said former players still reach out to him to express appreciation for that guidance, explaining they didn't always know what he meant at the time but have come to better understand the true value he encouraged them to place in the Almighty. __

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Broadcast on:: 05 Feb 2024

Famed football coach Tony Dungy is known for his devotion to football as well as his character, compassion, and faith.

Dungy, a former NFL defensive back who went on to coach the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Indianapolis Colts, has also been outspoken about his biblical views and what matters most in life.

In a recent interview with CBN News, Dungy revealed the biggest lesson he believes God has taught him throughout his decades-long career in football.

"Our mother's favorite verse in the Bible that she passed on to us was Matthew 16:26: 'What would it profit a man if you gain the whole world, but forfeit your soul?'" he said. "And, unfortunately, I saw a lot of that in 30 years in the National Football League."

Dungy continued, "I saw young men climb the ladder as high as you could climb, get everything that you could imagine from an earthly standpoint — acclaim, fame, money, notoriety, and look at them on the inside and say, 'Boy, there's something missing, and this is not good.'"

The NFL legend said he didn't want to experience the same lostness. Beyond that, Dungy wanted to prevent any players on his team from feeling such profound disconnectedness. That's why he delivered a powerful message to every rookie who came onto his roster.

"When I got our rookie class coming in every year, I would say the same thing: 'Enjoy the spoils of the National Football League. It's great. Yes, you can provide for your families, your parents, you can do a lot of things, but if that's all you're in it for, you're going to be in shock at the end of the day.'"

Dungy said he wanted the players to know they needed a source from which to get "real satisfaction" and said it's "got to be spiritual." Years later, he said former players still reach out to him to express appreciation for that guidance, explaining they didn't always know what he meant at the time but have come to better understand the true value he encouraged them to place in the Almighty.