When former Indianapolis Colts head coach Tony Dungy was inducted to the NFL Hall of Fame enshrinement at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio on Aug. 6, he used his acceptance speech to remember his parents and how they taught him to love God with all of his heart.
Dungy won over 139 regular season games as an NFL head coach. He also led the 2006 Colts to a Super Bowl victory and won a Super Bowl ring as a player with the 1978 Pittsburgh Steelers, according to The Christian Post.
He was honoured over the past weekend with Green Bay Packers quarterback great Brett Favre.
When Dungy first received news that he would be enshrined together with other coaching greats such as Vince Lombardi, Don Shula, and John Madden, he thought it was "kind of a miracle."
"[W]hen I got the news, my first thoughts were of all the people God placed in my path to help make this possible," Dungy said. "It started in Jackson, Michigan, and I couldn't have had a better upbringing. I'm just sorry that my parents, Wilbur and Cleomae Dungy, aren't alive to see this, because they'd be so proud."
Dungy said his father always "preached" to his children to strive for greatness and never complain when they get negative results, while his mother instilled in him the importance of honouring God.
"My mom taught us as a Christian, your character, your integrity and how you honour God were so much more important than your job title," Dungy shared. "One of her favourite Bible verses was Matthew 16:26: 'What would it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul.' And I know that she's happy to know that her son never forgot that verse."
