Legendary head coach Tony Dungy speaks with students at local high school

Aileen Hnatiuk
·2 min read
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GULFPORT, Fla. (WFLA) — Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Tony Dungy is a leader and inspiration.

He is the first African American head coach to win a Super Bowl and the first African American head coach to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

“I’m going to show some things that have happened a while ago and changes that have been made that give them great opportunities to talk to some young 10th and 11th graders who have their whole future in front of them, and I want them to think positive,” said Dungy.

FILE – In this Feb. 4, 2007, file photo, Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy is dunked after the Colts defeated the Chicago Bears, 29-17, in the Super Bowl XLI football game at Dolphin Stadium in Miami. The soft-spoken Dungy, who will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2016. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File)
FILE – In this Feb. 4, 2007, file photo, Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy is dunked after the Colts defeated the Chicago Bears, 29-17, in the Super Bowl XLI football game at Dolphin Stadium in Miami. The soft-spoken Dungy, who will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2016. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File)

He’s heavily involved in the community and shared his experiences and message about the history of African American contributions to sports in the Tampa Bay Area to the students of Boca Ciega High School.

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“I’ve never actually got to talk to somebody of his caliber for me. It was a big thing. I’m trying to pursue playing professional basketball, but to hear from somebody in the football world was really cool. What his experiences were during coaching. Him being able to coach some big-name players, win some Super Bowls, being the first Black head coach to win a Super Bowl. That’s a really big thing, and I think that for our culture, it’s pretty powerful,” said Boca Ciega High School senior Jordan Naylor.

One of the many motivations for Dungy is his son, Justin Dungy, who is a defensive back at Carrollwood Day School and committed to Butler University.

Former Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy holds his son Justin on his shoulders during the first half of an NFL divisional football playoff game between the Colts and Baltimore Ravens, Saturday, Jan. 16, 2010, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Mark Duncan)
Former Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy holds his son Justin on his shoulders during the first half of an NFL divisional football playoff game between the Colts and Baltimore Ravens, Saturday, Jan. 16, 2010, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Mark Duncan)

“He was 10 years old when we went to the Clemson-Alabama national championship game in Tampa, and I’m explaining to him the history of athletics and integration, and how Alabama football had to deal with this and what it is, and now he’s going to have the opportunity if he was his granddad‘s age, he would only have one or two schools that he could go to in the state of Florida, now he can go anywhere, and that was the inspiration behind this,” said Dungy.

Dungy and his wife have 11 children. His goal is to impact the youth as if they are his own.

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