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Dungy: Son's Suicide Part Of Retirement Decision

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Tony Dungy discusses his son's suicide and his retirement from football in an interview airing on NPR today.

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TBO.com

Published: March 3, 2009

TAMPA - Tony Dungy, who retired from coaching at age 53 this year, said he always planned leave football at some point but that his son's 2005 suicide provided "a little sense of doing it a little quicker."

During an interview with NPR's Steve Inskeep, Dungy also said he has counseled hundreds of parents who have lost children.

"I do feel like our young people are at an epidemic stage," Dungy said. "Not only my son, but three of his best friends from high school have taken their lives. There's been numerous people that I've talked to - parents - around the country that are in the same boat, and I'm trying to figure out why that is."

James Dungy, 18, was found dead in a Tampa-area apartment in December 2005. Tony Dungy said reaching out to other parents has been helpful in his family's healing from the tragedy.

"The thing that's been beneficial to me is where I try to reach out to other parents. I've talked to hundreds of parents now. And everybody's story is a little bit different. There's no common denominator, there's no one thing, 'If I would have done this, everything would have been OK.'

"I get letters and people call me all the time. They know my situation. It was very public. People refer me to parents who have lost kids in any number of ways. The parents of suicide victims, it's always a little tougher because you do think maybe I could have done something."

Dungy also discussed the importance of a player's character, the challenges of dealing with a "structured" profession such as coaching and that he feels he is truly retired from football.

Since his retirement, Dungy has been working with a number of Christian evangelical groups including Family First in Tampa. His new book, "Uncommon: Finding Your Path to Significance," advises men and boys on how to lead successful lives.

To listen to the entire interview, go to http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?story....

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