Winning Isn’t Everything—Jesus Is: Tony Dungy and Sam Acho
We live in a world where achievement is largely used as a motivator, and much of our time is spent consumed, looking for the next win—whether it be personally or professionally. It would benefit each of us to remember that in the long term, the ultimate win for us is establishing a relationship with Christ. Tony Dungy, the first African-American head coach to win an NFL Super Bowl, learned from mentors early on in his career that football wasn’t all that mattered—what mattered was the kind of man he was and the kind of men he shaped. A trailblazer, Dungy found a way to coach that aligned with his Christian values, showing the world that you can hold strong to your beliefs and find value in who Christ says you are, rather than who the world wants you to be. NFL linebacker and author Sam Acho grew up in a faith-based home, forming a relationship with God early on. But as he got more integrated in his career, Sam began to separate from his foundational values, and he suffered an identity crisis—he looked happy on the outside, but he didn’t feel it on the inside. It wasn’t until he went through a reckoning of sorts that Sam realized God believed he was worth getting to know, and when he started placing value on what really matters, things started to turn around.
Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned:
Winter 2021 Jesus Calling Magazine
Jesus Calling for First Responders editions
Past interviews: Lolo Jones and Evander Holyfield
Upcoming interview: Tana Amen
NBC’s Football Night in America
Living Hope Bible Fellowship Church
Interview Quotes:
“Welcome to the National Football League. You're now getting paid to play football, so that makes it your profession. But please, please don't make football your whole life.” - Chuck Noll, to Tony Dungy
“I made a decision I was going to be different. And not everybody was ready for that.” - Tony Dungy
“You can honor the Lord and you can be openly expressive about your faith and still be excellent.” - Tony Dungy
“God takes you through things and you grow from them and then you look back and say, ‘Oh, that wasn'
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