Tony Dungy, former NFL defensive back and famed football coach, recently spoke in an interview with CBN News about the biggest lesson he believes God taught him throughout his decades-long football career. “Our mother’s favorite verse in the Bible that she passed on to us was Matthew 16:26: ‘What would it profit a man if you gain the whole world, but forfeit your soul?’” he said. “And, unfortunately, I saw a lot of that in 30 years in the National Football League.” Dungy continued, “I saw young men climb the ladder as high as you could climb, get everything that you could imagine from an earthly standpoint — acclaim, fame, money, notoriety, and look at them on the inside and say, ‘Boy, there’s something missing, and this is not good.’” Dungy recalled how he did not want to experience the same lostness, delivering a powerful message to each rookie that came on his roster. “When I got our rookie class coming in every year, I would say the same thing: ‘Enjoy the spoils of the National Football League. It’s great. Yes, you can provide for your families, your parents, you can do a lot of things, but if that’s all you’re in it for, you’re going to be in shock at the end of the day.’”

In the coming days, Dungy plans to hand out Bart Starr Award to Pittsburgh Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick Jr. The Bart Starr Award is given to an NFL player who “best exemplifies outstanding character and leadership in the home, on the field, and in the community.” “It’s voted on by the players, which is very meaningful to them,” Dungy said. “It’s given to the person who shows extreme leadership, and community service.” Dungy will join Athletes in Action for the Christian ministry’s 2024 Super Bowl Breakfast Feb. 10 at Ceasar’s Palace in Las Vegas to present the award to Fitzpatrick. “The breakfast itself is a Gospel outreach,” Dungy said. “Player after player will talk about their relationship with the Lord, maybe how it started,” Dungy said. “There’s just been some unbelievable stories that have come through this, and it’s a Gospel outreach letting people know that Christ is the answer to a lot of our problems, and there’s always a Gospel invitation at the end.”