Letter from the Editor

Leading By Example
© More from this issue

If it is true that hard times are the test of a man's character, a test in the life of Tony Dungy came on Sunday night January 23. At approximately 6:30 p.m. St. Louis time, staring straight into the face of one of his most disappointing losses as a head coach, Tampa Bay's leader showed why the once struggling Buccaneers are now one of the model franchises in the NFL. The answers all begin and end with Dungy, a man of class, a man of dignity, and a man to be admired and emulated by everyone he comes into contact with each day.

The Bucs had just lost the NFC Championship to the Rams, 11-6, and a controversial replay call was used to overturn what appeared to be a legitimate catch by Tampa Bay wide receiver Bert Emanuel. The call cost the Bucs 15 yards of field position and, potentially, the game. Millions of TV viewers, no doubt, thought the Buccaneers were robbed.

Yet, after the game when asked about the call by reporters, the ever-dignified Dungy simply said, "If the refs said the ball hit the ground, then it hit the ground." No complaining. No moaning about bad luck. No curse words. Nothing except a staid matter-of-fact statement by a coach who every person associated with football knows is one of the good guys in the game.

Is it any wonder that his teams seem to always be on an even keel? Is it just luck that the team once nicknamed the "Bay of Pigs" is currently the class of the NFC Central division?

During a game - take any game - you can look at Dungy on the sideline and his outward demeanor would never give you any indication as to whether his team was 30 points up or 30 down. He exemplifies calm in the face of a storm. In this issue of the magazine on page 49, we examine Tony Dungy and some of his coaching beliefs in an article titled Philosophy of Performance: One Coach's Interaction Style.

As far as I am concerned, Coach Dungy does it exactly the "right" way. He does not let his emotions get in the way of his job. He understands that 53 young men and a staff of coaches are looking at him on every play for direction and leadership. He is not jumping up and down, or yelling at officials. He stays focused, and so do his players. He leads by example, and hopefully thousands of other coaches across the nation will notice what he does and follow suit.

Thank God Tony Dungy chose coaching as a profession, and here's hoping he influences many more like him to join the ranks.

Sincerely yours,

Barry Terranova

Article Categories

AFM Magazine

Letter from the Editor