Excuse the cliché, but it couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy. Tony Dungy has been voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
He was more than a racial pioneer as the first African-American coach into the Hall–and the first one to win a Super Bowl. He also has one of the top won-lost records in NFL coaching annals.
Fellow Hall of Fame coach John Madden summed up the Tampa resident’s talent and impact. “Tony Dungy got more out of his team and players than anyone,” said Madden. “And once he got the podium, he became the role model for guys who came after him.”
Well done, Tony. The league needs more class acts. Too bad you can’t be Cam Newton’s coach.
And, yes, there’s that bit of local irony. Along the way to the Hall of Fame, he was fired by the Buccaneers.