Lauren and Tony Dungy
photography by win wolloff
Who is your role model?
Lauren: I am blessed to have my mother as my role mother. She is
a lovely Christian wife and mother who (with my dad) provided a
loving home to seven children and 65 foster children, while working
full time as a nurse practitioner. She is in her 80s and is still very
active, volunteering in her church and community. She instilled
moral values, character, and integrity in my life and has given me the
inspiration to give back to my community and invest in the lives of
others.
Tony: I’ve had several, but. I’d start with my dad. He worked hard,
treated everyone with great respect, was a very good listener, really
went out of his way to help people, and he never drew attention to
himself. Those are all qualities I’ve tried to emulate.
What don’t people know about you?
Lauren: I have a twin brother who has twin boys. I’ve always
desired to have twins and created twins with my two youngest,
Jalen and Jaden, who usually dress alike from head to toe and are
the twins that I always wanted but never had.
Tony: I had to work hard at becoming calm and poised. When
I was younger, I was very competitive – almost to the point of
being out of control. But through my dad and coaches, I learned
that in critical times, composure was more beneficial than
emotion.
What is your motto?
Lauren: My motto is one of my favorite scriptures from the Bible:
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not in your own
understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and he will make
your path straight.”
Tony: Our slogan for my teams when I was coaching was
“Expectations and Execution. No Excuses, No Explanations.” That is
probably my personal motto as well.
What would you like to do that you have never done?
Lauren: I would like to run in and complete a marathon. I’m
training for the Miami Marathon and, along with my Iron Sharpeners
Running Group, hope to accomplish that goal in January, 2016.
Tony: I would love to go to Israel to see Jerusalem, the Holy Land,
and all the history and all the places you read about in the Bible. I’d
also like to take an Alaskan cruise to see its wildlife and the natural
beauty.
How would you describe yourself?
Lauren: I would describe myself as a Christian wife and mother
who wants to make a difference for the Lord in the Tampa Bay area
and beyond by sharing my faith and encouraging others.
Tony: I’m a pretty quiet person. I like to have fun; but, to me, fun
is being around friends and away from crowds. I love the simple
things in life and I don’t need too much to be happy. I’m not an
extravagant person at all.
What would you like to be able to do that you can’t do?
Lauren: Even though I’ve sung in church choirs, musical
productions, and high school chorus, I’m unable to carry a tune and
would love to have a rich musical voice to express my thoughts and
feelings through song.
Tony: It would be great to be able to do anything musically – play the
piano, saxophone, guitar, or, even sing, just for my own enjoyment
and self satisfaction.
Tony Dungy played in the NFL for three years, winning
the 1978 Super Bowl with the Pittsburg Steelers. He next
was an assistant coach with the University of Minnesota, the
Steelers, Kansas City Chiefs and Minnesota Vikings. He and
Lauren arrived in Tampa Bay in 1996 with their nine children,
when he became the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ most successful
head coach ever. Tony then led the Indianapolis Colts to their
Super Bowl victory in 2007. Tony has been involved in many
charitable organizations, such as the Fellowship of Christian
Athletes, Athletes in Action, Mentors for Life, Big Brothers Big
Sisters, and has served on President George W. Bush’s Council
on Service and Civic Participation. He is the author of New
York Times Best Sellers Quiet Strength and Uncommon: Finding
Your Path to Significance, as well as his newest, Mentor Leader.
He is now an analyst for NBC’s Football Night in America.
Lauren is vice president of the Dungy Family Foundation
and is involved in a number of charitable projects that revolve
around Christian outreach, children and education. She is on
the board of St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital in Tampa and
is active with Moms and Kids for Christ and Grace Family
Church’s community outreach through the First Impressions
Ministry. She and Tony have authored seven children’s
books, including the Best Seller list’s You Can Be A Friend,
plus another Best Seller, Uncommon Marriage, about utilizing
Christian principles in their marriage.
Why do you live here?
Lauren: Tampa is a fabulous city for a number of reasons. I love
the family-friendly atmosphere, warm weather, awesome churches,
great beaches, wonderful restaurants, amazing schools and exciting
sporting events.
Tony: We have loved Tampa from the first day we arrived. Not just
the weather, the outdoor activities and the neighborhood we live in,
but the way we have been embraced by the community. They have
made our whole family feel like natives. Of course, with us being
from the Midwest, those 70 degree days in January don’t hurt either.
At what do you excel?
Lauren: I excel at nurturing and loving my large beautiful family.
Six of our children live at home, and consider it a privilege and an
honor to parent them.
Tony: I think the thing I do best is teach. My parents were both
teachers and I think I learned from them. I took much joy in
watching the young men I coached not only become better players,
but better men as well.
What is your favorite word?
Lauren: My favorite word is joy, because most days I feel jubilate
and happy. Even when I experience hardships and challenges, I have
the confidence that the outcome will be fruitful and joyous.
Tony: My favorite word is probably faith, which is the key to my
Christian beliefs. I think faith in God is the most important element
in life. Next, you need faith in the people around you – a belief that
everyone is working together to make things better. And when
things aren’t going well, you have to believe God will turn them
around.
146 TAMPA BAY MAGAZINE NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015