Sorrow hits hard at Bucs headquarters
Players and coaches recall an ever-present James Dungy and his close-knit family.
By STEPHEN F. HOLDER
Published December 23, 2005
TAMPA - Bucs fullback Mike Alstott remembers two versions of James Dungy: the one before the growth spurt and the one after.
"I remember when he was at my waist, and then you saw him grow like a weed (to 6 feet 7)," Alstott said Thursday after hearing Tony Dungy's 18-year-old son had died.
"He was here every day, day in and day out, hanging out in the locker room with the players, in the equipment room. He was part of this football team."
A part that will be missed, judging by the mood Thursday at One Buc Place.
"I don't even know what to say," Alstott said. "That's how shocking this is. A lot of us grew up in this league with Tony as our coach. And not just with Tony, but with his family and his kids. It's just stunning."
Tony Dungy spent six seasons as coach of the Bucs, and he remains a popular figure among the players and coaches who worked with him. It was Dungy who helped reverse the fortunes of the once-moribund franchise, making the Bucs playoff regulars and Super Bowl contenders.
Because of that history, the feelings of grief in the organization were widespread, starting at the top.
"On behalf of the entire Buccaneer organization, I would like to extend our deepest sympathies to Tony and his family," team owner and president Malcolm Glazer said. "Our thoughts and prayers will be with the Dungys as they try to move forward from this most difficult time."
Glazer said the team would hold a moment of silence to honor Dungy before Saturday's home game against the Falcons. The relationship between Tony Dungy and some members of the Bucs organization was so close-knit that Dungy asked several players to mentor James, who was living on his own for the first time in Lutz. With Dungy and his wife, Lauren, living in Indianapolis, Dungy wanted to provide some direction for his son.
Linebacker Derrick Brooks and safety Dexter Jackson were among those players.
"We've always shared conversations, making sure he's okay," Brooks said. "I always let (James) know if he wanted someone to talk to or hang around, he had my phone number. We pray for them to get through this."
Jackson spoke to Dungy about his son during a recent fishing trip, and the coach said, "He was doing well," Jackson said. "Then this happens. I don't know what to say."
Jackson said he wondered how Dungy would proceed with coaching after the loss.
"Me being a parent, it'd be tough," said Jackson, a father of two daughters. "And family is big for him. He's with the All Pro Dads. He's a guy who put so much into his family time. It's going to be tough."
Through Dungy, Jackson also has gotten involved in All Pro Dads, an organization featuring NFL coaches and players that aims to help men become better fathers.
Perhaps no one on the Bucs has known Dungy and his family as long as defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin. Their relationship dates to their days with the Vikings, when Dungy became defensive coordinator in 1992 and Kiffin was the linebackers coach.
Kiffin had little doubt Dungy would press on.
"Tony's got tremendous faith," Kiffin said. "That's what will carry Tony through. He's unbelievable. I know what Tony's thinking, and I know how he'll handle it, and it will be his faith that will really stand strong. But that doesn't mean it's easy."
Special teams coach Rich Bisaccia dealt with a personal loss last week when his father died. He discouraged any comparison between the death of his father at 74 from natural causes with the death of a young son.
"It's not the same thing," Bisaccia said.
Even if Dungy decides to carry on with coaching, linebacker Shelton Quarles said Dungy always will stick to his order of priorities, something he never lost sight of with the Bucs.
"One of the things he always said was if you ever have a problem and it's anything that's away from football, then you definitely need to go home and take care of family first and then come back and deal with football," Quarles said.
"The levels of life are first your faith, then it's family, and then it's football. He's a true believer in that."