Mesh jerseys stick to the sweat-soaked skin of muscular men who have spent their lives training for this moment. Bright bulbs light the painted field where so many men have played before. Shouts and cheers fill the stadium to the point where concentrating seems impossible.
It all happens on the first weekend of February — when the Super Bowl takes place.
This year, the New York Giants and the New England Patriots will face off.
Tony Dungy is the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts, the winner of last year’s Super Bowl. And in his book, Quiet Strength, Dungy, with the help of Nathan Whitaker, tells of his personal journey from NFL reject to successful coach.
From the first page, it becomes obvious that religion plays a big position in Dungy’s life. The forward of Dungy’s book features a Bible verse — 2 Corinthians 4:8-11. This verse speaks of oppression and overcoming, two ideas which Dungy has experienced in his life.
If you are looking for a light sports read, this may not be your book. Yes, Dungy talks about sports, such as his decision to pass up playing basketball for Duke University to play football for the University of Minnesota. But the majority of his book deals with his faith and what it has had to do with his life.
The memoir begins on Jan. 14, 2002 with Dungy recalling the last night he was head coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Here, Dungy opens up to the audience as he tells of his surprise and disappointment when his life in Florida was quickly changed. Dungy even denotes his frustration with the situation — his family had already become adjusted to its life in Tampa Bay.
The first chapter displays Dungy’s humility, where he shows his own weaknesses while also acknowledging the role of religion in his life and his family’s, and sets the tone for the rest of the book.
Dungy’s next chapter describes his young life growing up in Jackson, Michigan, which molded him into the person he is today.
This pattern of alternating between personal life and professional life continues throughout Dungy’s memoir, in which he connects the two spectrums of his life with his faith.
Throughout the book, Dungy interweaves his memories of football successes and losses with small tidbits of family information due to the desire to preserve the his family’s privacy.
Yet, Dungy does discuss one sensitive family matter.
Dungy retells of the experiences following his son’s suicide on Dec. 22, 2005. Here, Dungy once again reveals his vulnerability while also displaying his continuous faith in God. The coach informs the audience of the affects of this tragedy in his personal and professional life.
Closing his memoir, Dungy tells of his journey to the Super Bowl with the Indianapolis Colts after 26 years of coaching. For Dungy, this Super Bowl victory also represented his success in his personal life with his family.
