Values

We were sitting in my American Sport in the 21st Century class talking about values. In almost every class in my Sport Management department here at Slippery Rock, we have talked at least once about values, morals, and ethics. Your values are something you really care about; you take pride in, and are proud to let others know about. In class we discussed character building and developing certain traits. From the time I was very young my parents instilled a certain set of values in me that would help mold me into a professional and respectable young man. Things like religion, reputation, work ethic, and most of all family. I have accepted these values and they are very important to me. My dad would always tell me to never put shame on your name. The name George (my last name) is the most important thing I own and that it not only represents me, but my entire family. If I do something wrong or get in trouble, it not only looks bad on me, but my parents, brother and sister as well. He taught me to be admired and respected. If I am admired, people want to be like me. That means I’m doing something right and if I am respected, I am making the right choices and good decisions in life.
Now that you know a little about my values, I want to talk about Tony Dungy, former Indianapolis Colts head coach. I want to talk about Tony because of the way he carries himself. The man walked away from football at the top of his career. The colts were legitimate super bowl contenders every year but Tony made the decision to give it all up to give back to the world. In this article I found, he talks about his higher calling and why he is doing what he is today, and that is changing lives. He is showing that people deserve a second chance no matter how bad the crime as long as they were willing to fully commit themselves and really want to change. In this article Dungy is referred to as "a messenger from God" and "is viewed as the moral compass of American sports." Dungy is a man of respect, decency, and character. He talks about how before Mike Vick got arrested; he was with him promoting the game being played in Japan between the Falcons and the Colts. He got to talk to Vick and they jokingly agreed to go fishing one day during the off season to get to know one another. That fishing trip never happened though and Tony still asks himself, if I just had a little time with Mike, could I have helped save his life and get him on the right track? This shows me the type of man Tony is and his passion for helping others. He went to visit Vick in a Kansas prison before his sentence was over. He talked with Mike for a few hours and asked him questions that he wanted to hear the right answers to so he could decide if he really wanted to help the former superstar out. Tony likes to use his faith as a guide and direction when helping people. Although he doesn’t make them turn to god or faith, he finds it easier to relate and teach with it. With a good recommendation from Tony, Mike could end up back on the field one day and he eventually did. This showed me that Tony has not just great pull in the NFL organization but great respect around the league. I saw it as, if Tony took the time out of his busy day to go talk to a criminal, then the man obviously sees that this prisoner is willing to fully take responsibility and change his life. Tony speaks to prisons all over the country and is saddened by the number of young adults that are African-American behind bars. Back in the beginning of the college football season, University of Oregon running back LeGarrette Blount punched Boise State linebacker Byron Hout in the mouth after a postgame confrontation. Oregon head coach Chip Kelly decided to suspend Blount for the entire season but Kelly really was unsure if he has made the right decision, Blount was one of their best players and a starter. Kelly contacted Tony and although he never spoke with him before, Tony was willing to talk to him and his troubled player. Tony spoke on the phone with the running back for several hours giving advice and answering questions. Blount was then reinstated for the last few games of the season. Kelly later said that “Tony Dungy was a man of impeccable integrity, who understands young men.”
Mike Vick isn’t the only player Tony has helped out during his short time away from football. He has helped several famous people and other unknown average Joe people. Tony’s commitment to doing the right thing, faith, and family are all values I have and am proud of. He is a great role model for young adults starting to get into the real world. He sets a good example of how to carry yourself in the professional world that it’s not all about when you do on the field, but it’s what you do when you are not playing the game. How are you going to change someone’s life today?

Here is a copy of the article from ESPN.com http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/eticket/story?page=100128/TonyDungy