Dungy Witnesses to the Christian Faith as Colts Win Super Bowl XLI

I don't know if I can remember his exact words . . . but Tony Dungy, holding the Vince Lombardi Trophy on national TV as the Head Coach of the Super Bowl-winning Indianapolis Colts said something like the following,

We (he and Bear's Head Coach Lovie Smith) are both Christians . . . and I am proud to say that we won this trophy the Lord's way.

Whatever the exact words were I had the sense that, had the Chicago Bears won the game, Coach Smith would have said much the same thing.

As a Christian Pastor I did not view this as a cheap attempt to get a plug in for Jesus. There was something far more substantial in what Dungy was trying to tell the American Super Bowl audience.

Dungy was saying that the Christian virtues of humility, self-sacrifice, putting others ahead of yourself, forgiveness, mercy, love and striving for excellence in all things for God's glory can make for a winning and successful life.

Dungy and Smith both coach like Christians and, whether their players are Christians or not, expect them all to live up to the highest standards and values that the Christian faith represents.

Both men are gracious, polite, selfless and always deflecting credit for their successes to either God, the players and other coaches on their teams or both. They are "class acts" by all accounts. They are men who their players look up to. They are role models for the youth who idolize their teams and they are men who make the cities of Chicago and Indianapolis seem like good and decent places to live.

As part of a pre-Super Bowl promotion, both men, and members of their teams, compiled a website to witness their common faith in Jesus Christ to the world. The site can be found at beyond the ultimate.org.

I encourage you to visit the site and read what these two coaches and others who play and coach for the Bears and Colts have to say about their faith in God and the Lordship of Jesus Christ in their lives.

Today we all saw a great football game played by two great teams lead by two great Head Coaches. As both Smith and Dungy will tell you, however, what makes them great is not their success on the field but, rather, the saving love of God in their lives.

Whether you are a Head Coach of an NFL team or not, you can share that same measure of greatness with these two Super Bowl coaches. Check out their site and consider what they have to say.

Oh, and by the way, congratulations to the Indianapolis Colts on their 29-17 victory in Super Bowl XLI.