Motivating Matters

    Some of you are probably asking, who is Tony Dungy? To keep it relatively short, he is a ex-NFL player, former head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Indianapolis Colts, and co-founder of the All Pro Dad organization. Prior to reading this book, I only knew him as being the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts, but his legacy is so much more than that and can be traced back to his childhood.

    Tony Dungy was raised in Michigan in a family of six and his parents were both teachers. They instilled in him the importance of gaining knowledge and building character at a young age. Much of his success as a player and coach can be accredited to his parents. For example, he learned from his dad the importance of treating every person as the individual they are. Everyone needs different accommodations in order to thrive and be successful. Dungy later went on to use this methodology in his coaching career. In the relationships with those close to us, we should cater how we speak and behave to maximize the potential of that person and the relationship we have with them.

     Another lesson his father taught him was about the unfairness of life. Tony was unaware his father had been part of the Tuskegee Experiment until his funeral in 2004. During his father’s tenure in the military, there was widespread segregation and the Air Corps began an experiment to see if African Americans  could be trained to become pilots. The only thing his father mentioned to him about the experiment was, “when I was in the service they didn’t want to teach us how to fly planes, so we taught ourselves to fly.” Later Dungy came to realize that his father didn’t tell him he was a part of the experiment because that’s not what mattered. What mattered was the lesson that can be learned from these types of unfair experiences in our life. Dungy wrote, “what’s important is not the accolades and memories of success but the way you respond when opportunities are denied… Your options are to complain or to look ahead and figure out how to make the situation better.” This idea of looking for the positives and making the most of a negative situation is an important theme throughout the book. Too many people in life allow themselves to become victims to their situation, and later realize they didn’t do the things they wanted to do because they always had an excuse for why they couldn’t.

    Tony Dungy is a prime example of someone who overcame many of the challenges he faced by trusting in the process and having faith in God’s plan for him and his family. He was never considered the most skilled player while in college and the NFL, but he made up for it with his work ethic and willingness to do whatever had to be done. In college, he played quarterback at the University of Minnesota and had success, but went undrafted in the NFL. He was given a chance to try out for the Pittsburgh Steelers, but had to be willing to learn how to play a different position. He could have responded by saying he only wanted to play quarterback and been stubborn and discouraged about it. Instead, he walked in faith and trusted that things would work out. He also took action by watching film in his free time, asking questions, and buying into the coach’s philosophy, thus putting himself in a better position to succeed. He ended up making the team and played safety in the NFL for three seasons. You can believe all you want, but the plane will never take off unless you’re in the cockpit controlling it.

    The end of Dungy’s career came after just three seasons and left his prospectus of the future was quite unclear. His work ethic and IQ as a player didn’t go unnoticed, and set him up for job offers as a coach. It’s important to remember that even when you feel like your job doesn’t matter or you know that you don’t want to do a particular job for the rest of your life, people notice what you do. There are lessons to be learned from doing everything with your full effort, being willing to take on more responsibility, and learn new skills. Doing these things will set you up to be successful in the future. That’s exactly what happened to Tony Dungy. The work he did to learn a new position, and the connections he made as a player set him up to become a defensive backs coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

    Much of his head coaching philosophy stemmed from his time in Pittsburgh as a player and coach. The Steelers head coach, Chuck Noll’s, mentality was that “Champions don’t beat themselves. If you want to win, do the ordinary things better than anyone else does–day in and day out. We’re not going to fool people or outscheme them. We’re just going to outplay them. Because we’ll know what we’re doing. When we get into a critical situation, we won’t have to think. We’ll play fast and fundamentally sound.” A statement to his belief in the abilities of the players and all the preparation and practice that goes into being ready for crunch time situations. This quote goes back to having a willingness to do everything to the best of your ability. If you do ordinary things in your job and daily life better than anyone else, you’re destined to be successful.

    Too many people give up before they reach success because they see others succeed and become discouraged or try to take short cuts because doing it the right way is difficult. Dungy always reminded his players of a bible verse, Matthew 16:26, “And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?” Are we so focused on the end goal, whether that’s wealth, accolades, a job promotion, or whatever it may be, that in the process we change who we are? Are we willing to leave behind people who truly love us and burn bridges with former employers, ultimately tarnishing our reputation in exchange for the fame and glory? One of the ideas in James Clear’s weekly newsletter “3-2-1,” reiterated this exact point saying, “Most of the value in life and in business arises out of good relationships.” It might mean sacrificing a little time and money, but doing things the right way is the most rewarding.

    In the fast paced and “want it now,” stimulus-driven world we live in, it can be difficult to hold ourselves to these standards. This was especially the case when Tony Dungy finally got the opportunity to be the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. A team that was rampant with negativity and knew about losing all too well. He instilled the principles he had learned from Coach Noll about doing the ordinary things better than anyone else and doing whatever it takes with no excuses or explanations. The Buccaneers finished the season with a 6-10 record and didn’t make the playoffs, but after the last game Dungy received a gatorade bath from the players. What is usually a celebration ritual for major victories, was used in this case because of the mentality shift Dungy had initiated since becoming head coach. It was a sign the team had bought into his principles and were willing to do whatever it took to be successful. Acknowledging and celebrating little victories like this are important milestones for success, but always keep in mind the end goal and what you’re doing it for.

    Despite the success the Buccaneers had in the six seasons Dungy was coach, they never managed to make a playoff run or get remotely close to winning a Super Bowl. In the NFL, coaching changes are rather common because every organization is looking for immediate results. The owners felt they had given Tony Dungy the opportunity and wanted to move on to someone else. At this stage, Dungy felt unsure of his future as a coach and wondered if it was time to move onto something different. He doubled down on his faith in God with the help of his peers and was reminded of the bible verse, Romans 8:28: “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” Whether you believe in God or not there is power and motivation that can be drawn from having faith in divine timing and something bigger than yourself. A short time later he received head coaching offers for both the Carolina Panthers and Indianapolis Colts. Sometimes the end of something good is the start of something great. Don’t be afraid of change. Embrace it as a new beginning.

    After a great deal of thinking and praying Tony Dungy decided to take the head coaching position for the Indianapolis Colts in 2002. He immediately worked to instill the same basic principles he had used in Tampa and quickly realized the key to success was getting the quarterback, Peyton Manning, to buy into his mentality. It took Manning and the team a season or two to fully buy into what Dungy was preaching, and once they did, the team began to play as more of a cohesive unit. In a matter of a few years between 2003 and 2005, Dungy endured some difficult loses while coaching a team that was having great success. First, he lost his biggest supporter, his father, to a battle with leukemia in 2004, and to make matters worse, during the 2005 season while the Colts were 13-0, his son Jamie took his own life. Dungy was forced to self reflect on whether he needed to step away from coaching and focus on his family.

    It was a painful time for him and his family, but after discussing with his wife, he realized that now more than ever was the time to practice what he had been preaching. He had preached that “times will get tough.” and that “God doesn’t promise that once we accept Jesus as Lord and Savior we’ll be protected from harm and pain and stress. But He does promise that He’ll be there to lean on during those times.” He went on to finish coaching the rest of the season and they lost in the first round of the playoffs. Amidst the most difficult and challenging times in life, we need to ground ourselves in faith and lean on the love and support of others to make it through.

    The Colts went on to have a memorable season the following year, and won the Super Bowl. They proved themselves with a miraculous comeback victory in the AFC Championship against a team they had struggled to beat in the past, the New England Patriots. They went on to beat the Chicago Bears in the Super Bowl. After the victory, while Tony Dungy was holding the Lombardi Trophy, he was flooded with memories. Memories of the times he was doubted by others. He wanted to provide hope for those people and knock down the walls dividing them. He also thought about his family and in particular his father and son Jamie, and all the memories he had with them. He realized these memories, which at first were too painful to think about, were a healing gift.

    Tony Dungy’s legacy goes far behind his success as a player and coach in the NFL. He is heavily involved community outreach, and him and his wife have adopted multiple children. His story is a testament to the importance of unwavering faith and discipline in our lives. He is a role model for parents and children alike, and can be seen as an image of hope for those struggling in their lives. I found this book at a perfect time in my life. I have been in need of some reassurance and motivation and this book provided that. This book encapsulated everything that is needed to be successful while giving all of the glory to God. I encourage you to read the full book because it was packed with much more knowledge and lessons that I wasn’t able to fit in this summary. Click here for a link to purchase the book.