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Sharing Dungy's loss

Tony Dungy hasn't walked the home sidelines of Raymond James Stadium for four years, but the reaction here to the death of his 18-year-old son speaks to his legacy.

Dungy was not merely the coach who turned a losing Tampa Bay Buccaneers football franchise into a winner. He gave the team character, insisted on players who treated the game and their community with respect. And he was, in a sport known for its brutality and millionaire egocentrics, a man of genuine family and faith.

"His faith is unshakable," said Bucs defensive line coach Rod Marinelli. "Men look for that. I crave it, you're drawn to it as a man."

In Tampa, Dungy became involved with Family First and helped launch a group called All Pro Dad, designed to help fathers understand the importance of their jobs at home. That may be why the suicide of son James is so numbing to the people in this region who were enriched by Dungy's presence.

Those people are now stepping forward, in the communities in which his family has lived. In Indianapolis, where he has brought the Colts to the cusp of greatness, fans were placing flowers Thursday at the RCA Dome. Yes, he has touched that city as well.

"I can't begin to tell you how many e-mails I've received these past three-plus years from grateful souls who've been touched by Dungy," wrote Indianapolis Star columnist Bob Kravitz. "They tell me stories, how he visited a sick father, how he sent a meaningful note to an ailing mother, so many simple gestures that make such an enormous difference."

Dungy is putting aside the game for now to deal with unimaginable loss. The profound public reaction suggests he won't be alone.

[Last modified December 24, 2005, 01:09:13]