Tony Dungy Quotes & Sayings

Lovie Smith and I are not only the first two African-Americans but Christian coaches showing that you can win doing it the Lord's way and we're more proud of that. — Tony Dungy

I could never have pictured myself writing a book when I was 25 years old. My mom was an English teacher but I wasn't that way growing up. — Tony Dungy

The narrow path that 'Uncommon' people will take, that the Lord wants you to go down, that really is the ultimate way to go. — Tony Dungy

If you're just saying, hey, I'm doing this. I'm working to make money. I'm working to increase my status. If that's all there is, I think you will find out that it's meaningless. — Tony Dungy

But there's no substitute for a full-time dad. Dads who are fully engaged with their kids overwhelmingly tend to produce children who believe in themselves and live full lives. — Tony Dungy

My dad, who was a teacher, used to tell me that a teacher's goal should be for every one of their students to get an A. If that's your goal every day - to make every student or player learn - then it doesn't matter if you won last year or didn't win. When next year's team shows up, I try to help every player become as good as they can be. — Tony Dungy

I had 10 to 12 close buddies who I played ball with all the way from elementary to high school. That is where I learned to compete. — Tony Dungy

I was a quarterback in college. I hoped to go to the NFL, and I didn't get drafted. I then became a free agent. I could sign with whoever I wanted to, and I ended up going to Pittsburgh. — Tony Dungy

The Lord doesn't always take you in a straight line. He tests you sometimes. — Tony Dungy

If we have trouble hearing Him, He will faithfully work in our lives until we are pointed in the direction He wants us to go. — Tony Dungy

Without Peyton, there would be no Lucas Oil Stadium. This team would be playing in L.A. right now. I don't understand Jim saying this. — Tony Dungy

I was gratified by the way our players had approached each game throughout the season. They had remained focused on the task at hand, playing hard and smart week after week. We didn't have any turmoil or distractions. We went about our business as usual. To do that in a setting that often was anything but usual is a testament to the character of our players and coaches. Our process worked; we simply picked a bad year to only be very good. — Tony Dungy

I realized that I needed to be more like the shepherd than the hired hand in protecting my team. — Tony Dungy

Football is a vocation and an opportunity for ministry. But it's not a life. — Tony Dungy

As a young kid, I had a great background. My grandfather was a minister; I have two uncles that were ministers, and so I had that spiritual background. I accepted Christ early as a kid. — Tony Dungy

I got put into leadership roles very early in life from fifth grade, sixth grade. I always ended up being the quarterback or the leader of the sports teams, and it's kind of benefiting me now. — Tony Dungy

We often can't see what God is doing in our lives, but God sees the whole picture and His plan for us clearly. — Tony Dungy

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. — Tony Dungy

I need to treat everybody fairly, but fair doesn't always mean equal. — Tony Dungy

There are two schools of thought. You can be basic and spend all your time on what your opponents are going to do. Or, you can be very multiple and complex, put a lot of doubt in your opponents' minds and create problems for them with the volume of things you do. — Tony Dungy

When I was15 years old, I couldn't look at the NFL and look on TV and say, 'Boy, there's a head coach, African American. That's something I'd like to do.' — Tony Dungy

The great thing about integrity is that it is truly no respecter of position or wealth or race or gender. It is not determined by shifting circumstances, cultural dynamics, or what you've previously achieved. From the moment you are born, you - and you alone - determine whether you will be a person of integrity. Integrity does not come in degrees - low, medium, or high. You either have integrity or you do not. In — Tony Dungy

Everybody needs encouragement, even when things are going well. — Tony Dungy

We are all role models to someone in this world, and we can all have an impact - for good. — Tony Dungy

For some reason the football coach of a major college program is seen as one of the leaders of the campus. And some way we have to let our young people know that that leader can look like anyone. — Tony Dungy

You're born with some things inside you that will allow you to lead, but I think you have to take the bull by the horns. You have to want that leadership position, and then there are things you can do to develop that. — Tony Dungy

If we lose sight of people, we lose sight of the very purpose of leadership. — Tony Dungy

I've said all along that God is in control. — Tony Dungy

If people didn't know me and only knew my public persona, what I'd want them to know is everything that I do, I do for the Glory of Lord. Because of my Christian faith, that's who I am. I wasn't always that way, but I'm very proud that I am. — Tony Dungy

Integrity is what you do when no one is watching; its doing the right thing all the time, even when it may work to your disadvantage. — Tony Dungy

We've got guys who aren't wrapping guys up ... No matter how hard you hit them, you've still got to wrap them up. — Tony Dungy

I love coaching football, and winning a Super Bowl was a goal I've had for a long time. But it has never been my purpose in life. My purpose in life is simply to glorify God. We have to be careful that we don't let the pursuit of our life's goals, no matter how important they seem, cause us to lose sight of our purpose. I coach football. But the good I can do to glorify God along the way is my real purpose. — Tony Dungy

I guess I'm flattered that people think I can help get things done. — Tony Dungy

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. — Tony Dungy

First, there is no typical grief cycle, and second, it's not something I went through. I'm still grieving. — Tony Dungy

We have a number of difficulties facing our nation, but I believe fatherlessness is right at the top of the list. — Tony Dungy

When you're in a situation, you can complain about it, you can feel sorry for yourself, you can do a lot of things. But how are you gonna make the situation better? — Tony Dungy

The Lord has a plan. 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. — Tony Dungy

When things get difficult it can be easy to complain. How you respond makes all the difference — Tony Dungy

At the end of the day, the only people a One Voice doctrine silences are those who should be the most loyal. — Tony Dungy

We have so many young men, especially, who are growing up without their dads. We have to fill that void. We have to do a better job helping young people see what it means to be a man, what it means to be a woman. And then, somehow, we have to put that family structure back together. — Tony Dungy

You have gifts, abilities, and dreams no one else has. — Tony Dungy

A good leader gets people to follow him because they want to, not because he makes them. — Tony Dungy

Once we had become locked in on a schedule, he (Coach Denny Green) often created a disruption (artificial adversity) to that schedule just to see how guys would respond. — Tony Dungy

There are weaknesses that you have to understand and it takes a lot of discipline for the players to be able to play it effectively and have confidence in what they're doing. — Tony Dungy

I enjoy talking to young people, and talking to people about helping young people. That part is not a chore. It's pretty fun, and something I like to do because I think it's important. — Tony Dungy

As big a deal as the Super Bowl is, it's not the most important thing going on in the planet. — Tony Dungy

And as a football coach in the National Football League, I know for sure that it's going to end someday. — Tony Dungy

Courage is the ability to do the right thing, all the time, no matter how painful or uncomfortable it might be. — Tony Dungy

I hired top-notch people, trusted them to do their jobs, and then came to grips with the fact that I wouldn't be coaching as much. — Tony Dungy

I was not asked whether I would have a problem having Michael Sam on my team. I would not. — Tony Dungy

I wish Michael Sam nothing but the best in his quest to become a star in the NFL,and I am confident he will get the opportunity to show what he can do on the field. — Tony Dungy

Avoidance doesn't solve anything; it merely serves as a temporary salve. — Tony Dungy

This was the fourth time Lauren and I had seriously contemplated whether being a head coach in the National Football League was where the Lord wanted me to be. I was certain after I had been fired by the Bucs in 2001 that God was moving me and my family into a different role, but He had other plans. We evaluated our options again after the 2005 and 2006 seasons with the Colts, each time concluding that coaching the Colts was God's will for me. — Tony Dungy

What will people remember us for? Are other people's lives better because we lived? Did we make a difference? Did we use to the fullest the gifts and abilities God gave us? Did we give our best effort, and did we do it for the right reasons? — Tony Dungy

It's just really making sure I am doing the best job I can do as a dad. I do think that is my No. 1 job. — Tony Dungy

Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. Matthew 6:33 — Tony Dungy

So, when it comes to effective leadership, it's not about you and what makes you comfortable or helps you get ahead. It's about other people. It's about serving God by serving others. That's the mind-set of the mentor leader. — Tony Dungy

When I was young, I didn't like to read. I would have much rather been outside doing something than been inside reading about it. — Tony Dungy

When it's over, it's over is part of football's greatest appeal to me. When a game ends, win or lose, it's time to prepare for the next one. — Tony Dungy

We want to enjoy our families and the hype leading up to the game. — Tony Dungy

We believed it was not our formations that made us good, but rather how we played. — Tony Dungy

Integrity, the choice between what's convenient and what's right. — Tony Dungy

God's loving plan to save sinners started with Jesus' death and resurrection. The influence God calls you to have for His Kingdom is very simple: just tell the world what He did for you. — Tony Dungy

I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope." Jeremiah 29:11 — Tony Dungy

And if God has given you a lot of ability, I believe you should be held to a higher level of expectation. — Tony Dungy

Change isn't always bad; we should always be learning and improving. But the change I was seeing involved principles, not procedures. — Tony Dungy

It's definitely harder being a dad than a coach. — Tony Dungy

I just don't think you pass on a great quarterback if you have the opportunity. If need be, you can trade it away. — Tony Dungy

The game has changed since the '70s as more coaches have looked at ways to make it tougher on defenses. But I'm glad my career turned out the way it did - I would have never gotten a chance to learn the defensive side of the ball. — Tony Dungy

I always liked to be fairly simple because you could get more players ready to play quickly. If you lose players to free agency, injuries, etc., it is easier to get young players ready to play in a less complex system. — Tony Dungy

All Pro Dad is an organization that started down in Tampa in 1997. And it was just a group of us who felt like we weren't doing as good a job as our fathers did in connecting with kids and being there and being involved in their lives, working and coaching and spending all the time we had to. We just felt badly. — Tony Dungy

My parents had a strong impact on who I am today. My mother and dad both encouraged us to think about the long term - where you wanted to be - to think about education, to think about what is right and what is wrong, and to do things that will help you in the long run. — Tony Dungy

I know when I was an assistant coach and I started interviewing for head coaching jobs, I actually lost out on many jobs, several jobs, and the complaint that I got was, 'Well, he doesn't fit the mold of a head coach. He doesn't look the part. He's not gonna jump up and down. He's not going to scream.' — Tony Dungy

We need somebody to give us a chance. — Tony Dungy

When I was younger I only read sports books. I loved the biographies that told how athletes developed. When I got into coaching, I did start to read more instructional books, but I was always more interested in the people behind the ideas. — Tony Dungy

Don't shed any tears for me. I got to live a dream most people don't get to live. — Tony Dungy

They were unwillingly to give 100 percent if they didn't personally think it was important. What you don't understand is the champions know it's all important. — Tony Dungy

My heart's toward youth ministry, but I don't know. I never would have thought I would have written a book. And God kind of directed that. So we'll see what the next is. — Tony Dungy

You may not win the Super Bowl. Your kids may not go on to be doctors and lawyers and everything may not go perfectly. That doesn't mean it was a bad plan or the wrong thing. It's just like a football season. Everything's not going to go perfect. — Tony Dungy

If you're a leader, people's lives should be better because of the influence you've had along the way. — Tony Dungy

If someone needs help, I can offer advice. I'm not always right and people don't always listen. — Tony Dungy

The secret to success is good leadership, and good leadership is all about making the lives of your team members or workers better. — Tony Dungy

But I know I have a son who doesn't listen to anything I say and if he hears the same thing from someone else, sometimes it has a little more impact. — Tony Dungy

You don't win on emotion. You win on execution. — Tony Dungy

The best leaders are following Christ. That's the best leader you can follow. — Tony Dungy

To win those big games you're going to have to complete some third-down passes, you're going to have to be able to get some explosive games in the passing game. — Tony Dungy

Did you know that nearly one in three children live apart from their biological dads? Those kids are two to three times more likely to grow up in poverty, to suffer in school, and to have health and behavioral problems. — Tony Dungy

I learned from Chuck Noll in Pittsburgh that speed and explosiveness on defense is the way to build a team. Both are difficult for your opponent to assimilate in practice and then in games it is even harder to match. — Tony Dungy

The best solution for falling just short of the goal is to focus on the fundamentals but perform them better. — Tony Dungy

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. — Tony Dungy

False modesty is an attempt to tear yourself down. True humility focuses more on build up others. — Tony Dungy

No excuses. No explanations. — Tony Dungy

Most of the books I remember from my childhood were Dr. Seuss-type books. They were fun to read, but there wasn't a real story behind them. — Tony Dungy

It's the journey that matters. Learning is more important than the test. Practice well, and the games will take care of themselves. — Tony Dungy

I think I can always look back and say my mom and dad would have done this or suggested that in a particular situation. I just really feel blessed to have had them as parents. — Tony Dungy

Football was really my least favorite sport and the last sport that I ended up picking up as a kid. My dad started me off with baseball, which most kids did at that time. I really enjoyed basketball. That was my favorite sport. — Tony Dungy

I never wanted our players to think the Super Bowl was the ultimate. I always talk about 'Yes, we're going to win, but what are we going to do as we're winning? What are we going to do after we win?' Winning the Super Bowl is not the destination. It's not an end point. It's what you do from here. — Tony Dungy

Nothing is more deflating to morale than to have a poor outcome pinned on someone who doesn't deserve it. It lacks integrity and overvalues the outcome at the expense of the people as well as the process. — Tony Dungy

People have to understand how important it is for kids to be nurtured by their mom and dad and get the great role modeling when they are young. — Tony Dungy