The Lord tells us that while we’re here on this earth we will face trouble. It’s not about avoiding trials, it’s how we respond to these trials. Our response is what really matters.

How do you respond to trials in your life?

Well, the Super Bowl is this Sunday. I’ve been blessed to be a part of 2 Super Bowls. Here are a few of my favorite memories both as a player and as a coach.

Do you have a favorite Super Bowl memory?

As parents we often try to mold the character of our children. One way to do this  is to naturally let it happen through sports. We can learn so many lessons from playing and being involved in sports. Self-sacrifice is one of those important lessons.

Tomorrow is a big day in the Dungy household.  February 3rd is National Signing Day for high school football players.  It’s the first day they can sign for a scholarship to an NCAA school and our son Eric is going to sign with the University of Oregon.  He’s excited and we’re excited for him.  He’s put a lot of time and energy into not only practicing and playing the game of football, but also into working hard in the classroom so he would have the grades to qualify for admission.  Sometimes people don’t realize the sacrifices that it takes to train, work out, practice and play, but still study and do your best in school.

Wednesday, though, it will all seem worthwhile to him as he is rewarded with a college scholarship.  It was great for me to be around during his senior year–not only to watch him play, but to also see him handle the recruiting process.   Oregon was actually his final visit last weekend.  Their facilities are great and they had an exciting year last year.  However, what really impressed me as a parent was the individual attention the coaches and staff at Oregon gave to Eric.  They talked about his academic career, his social and spiritual development and growing as a man, as well as a football player.  And they had a plan specifically for him and how he would accomplish that.

The only real hurdle we had to get over was the distance.  Eugene, Oregon is a long way from Tampa and I think it’s actually going to be tougher on Lauren and I than it will be on Eric.  We always felt that he’d be playing college football in Florida and we’d be driving to his games, tailgating and enjoying it just as we did his high school games.  We had to face the realization that we won’t see him as often now and we’re going to miss some of that closeness.  But in the end, it was his decision and we needed him to be happy.  He is looking forward to being a Duck and we are happy for him.

So tomorrow Plant High School has a signing ceremony in their gymnasium.  All of the seniors who received scholarships will be there and we’ll be there too–with our green and gold on! And we’ll be very proud of our son!

Something my dad taught me when I was growing up has carried over into the way I’ve raised my kids.

CONGRATULATIONS PLANT PANTHERS—2009 FLORIDA 5A STATE CHAMPS! What a game it was! My son Eric had a couple of big plays, including the first TD of the game on a 20 yard pass reception.  It was a real thrill for our family to watch him end his high school career with a victory and a second state championship medal.

Most of the families went back to the school to wait for the players to arrive back from Orlando.  We celebrated until about 2:00 am but it was bittersweet for the senior parents. As happy and excited as we were, we all talked about how we were going to miss the Plant “family” as our sons went on to college.  High school football is fun for a lot of reasons but for us, developing those friendships and watching our son grow as a player and a person has been special.  His coach, Robert Weiner does a tremendous job of helping these young men become better players, better teammates and better students.  To me, that’s what coaching is all about and I really appreciate Coach Weiner and his staff.  And, of course, winning state championships doesn’t hurt!

Leaving a legacy. That’s what is really important in life.

What kind of legacy will you leave?

I’ve commented quite a bit recently on the need for more diversity in the football coaching ranks at NCAA schools.   Well, over the past month or so, three universities have hired minority coaches.  I applaud the efforts of these schools to consider all qualified candidates and hire the best person for the job, regardless of race.

There are some events that stay in your mind years after they happen.  There are some lessons that stay in your heart in the same way.

I was 12 years old when Dr. Martin Luther King was killed and I’m 54 years old now. It’s been over 40 years and I remember everything crystal-clear – like it was yesterday. Growing up in the ‘60s when there was so much talk about civil rights and human rights, Dr. King made a great impression on our country. I think there are lessons we can still learn from him today. Number one: Standing up for what you believe is right, even if it’s not popular. Number two: Doing things for other people is really more important than doing things for yourself. And number three: Standing up for the Lord’s views.

Those are three things that I’ll always remember Dr. King for and those are also three ways he made a difference and an impact in my life. These are things that I’ve tried to pass on to my children and people that I’ve come in contact with.

Knowing that you can make a difference in other people. That is the biggest thing that I’ll take away from Dr. King’s life.

I played for 3 years in the NFL and I was 25 when I retired from playing. Fortunately I worked for a boss, Chuck Noll, who taught me a couple of things. Number 1: He taught me that playing football was not really a real job and it wasn’t life. Number 2: When you do look for your real job, never make a decision based on money, but make the decision based on your passion, what you feel and your desire to do something. That was really good advice for me.

When I started out, I interviewed several places. I worked some jobs as an intern for some great companies, but I never found a job that I had that passion for. I worked for General Mills, Heinz, and Mellon Bank.  I enjoyed those positions, but they weren’t jobs that I was excited about going to each day.  Coach Noll came back to me and asked if I wanted to work for him as an assistant coach, and the first day I went in, I couldn’t wait to get back to work the next day. That taught me something. That taught me that coaching was where I needed to be and what I needed to do. And I’ve been a coach for 28 years since then. And for those 28 years  it was great. I enjoyed it every day. I was fired up about going to work. I thought it matched the talent that God had given me and I had a passion to do it.

My advice for  young people or anybody searching for a career is this: Follow God’s passion that He’s placed in your heart. Don’t worry about money, or the prestige of the position. Do what you enjoy, and you’re going to have a great job.