OT: Tony Dungy's Son

[jiggafini19]

TAMPA, Fla. -- James Dungy, the 18-year-old son of Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy, was found dead in a Tampa-area apartment, police said Thursday.

No foul play is suspected, but a cause of death won't be announced pending an autopsy, said Vida Morgan, a secretary in the Hillsborough County sheriff's office.

James Dungy's girlfriend found him when she returned to the Campus Lodge Apartments in Lutz, Fla., the sheriff's office said in a news release on its Web site. Police responded at 1:32 a.m. Thursday and performed CPR on Dungy before he was taken to University Community Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Tony Dungy has left the Colts and is in Tampa. Assistant head coach and quarterbacks coach Jim Caldwell will lead the team while Dungy is gone, the Colts said.

The Colts (13-1) are at Seattle on Saturday; Indianapolis lost its first game Sunday against the visiting San Diego Chargers, ending what had been a perfect season.

The coach and his wife, Lauren, have four other children: daughters Tiara and Jade, and sons Eric and Jordan. James, their eldest child, was taking extension classes at the University of South Florida, Morgan said.

James Dungy spent his senior year at North Central High School in Indianapolis and graduated this year. C.E. Quandt, the school's principal, said Dungy was a personable student who never flaunted his father's position.

"He just came in and tried to blend in and be a student," Quandt said. "I liked James a lot."

Quandt said Dungy visited North Central a week or two ago to pick up a transcript. He said the death surprised and saddened everyone at the school.

"It kind of diminishes our school family," he said.

James stood 6-foot-7 and was sometimes mistaken for one of his father's players, The Indianapolis Star reported on its Web site. James and his younger brother, Eric, sometimes watched Colts games from the sideline, but they had to earn it by doing well in school.

Fans posted prayers and messages of support for Dungy, who also coached the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, on a message board on a Colts fan Web site.

"Not only was he a great football coach for the Bucs, but he is an even better person," one Tampa Bay fan wrote. "It makes me sick that it happened at this time of year to a person that is so giving and caring."

Dungy was an assistant coach with the Minnesota Vikings from 1992 to 1995, before he became Tampa Bay's head coach.

He began coaching in 1980, as defensive backs coach at the University of Minnesota, his alma mater. He was quarterback for the Gophers from 1973-1976.

 

[jiggafini19]

Keep the Dungy family in your prayers.

Sad this happened so close to the Holidays.

 

[IndyND'03]

i live here in indy and am nearly as big a colts fan as i am an irish fan. my heart sank when i heard the news. everyone here in town loves dungy. he will be in my prayers and i hope in everyone else's. football is always secondary to family and the ones we love.

 

[KMac151993]

This makes me sick...not his death but the coverage. This kid committed suicide, I know Tony is a great man and father; but the news coverage here in Indy over this event is rediculous. Last night a 6 year old girl died in a fire because her family did not have enough money to heat their house and had to use space heaters to stay warm. This story got 0 air time why, because Tony Dungy makes more money then that family. Countless numbers of people lose children each year and not a word is mentioned about their deaths. Just a shame that the media covers events like this in this manner, stupid Indianapolis media, what a joke.

 

[jiggafini19]

Smith moved by friend's tragic loss
By John Mullin

Lovie Smith ran through the list of his injured players Thursday, who practiced, who didn't, who did what.

Then he paused, hesitating to collect both his thoughts and something deeper. The change in his voice was apparent as he spoke about every parent's worst nightmare, which had befallen friend and Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy on Thursday morning.

"On a personal note," he began, his voice close to cracking and tears beginning to well in his eyes, "our prayers and thoughts go out to the Dungy family. Jamie was a great, great kid. You know, Tony's a man of faith and, of course, they will need it through a time like this."

Dungy's 18-year-old son James was found dead in a Tampa apartment Thursday morning. Police said his death apparently was a suicide.

But the loss was being felt visibly by Smith, the father of three sons and two grandsons himself. He was an assistant on Dungy's staff with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1996-2000 and knew James Dungy.

"We will definitely miss him," Smith said. "Our kids grew up together, were ballboys together."

Smith paused again, then asked his usual "Questions?"

When none came immediately, he began to gather his papers and leave as quickly as possible. Yet when the questions eventually came, he answered with words that were not always easy to find.

As a father, can he imagine what Dungy is going through?

"Hey, I can only imagine," Smith said. "It's tough. I love my kids to death, like Tony does."

Smith said he had talked to people close to Dungy and he would call Dungy Thursday night but "there are more important things than talking to me right now."

Smith acknowledged the nature of his job, its time commitment, lifestyle and their impact were on his mind.

"Yeah, you think about it and of course we're away from home quite a bit," Smith said. "I think when you have [family] time, it's definitely quality. I know that's what Tony's all about.

"That's what we all try to do too. There's a lot of professions where dads and moms are away from home. You just make the most of it when you're together."

 

[jiggafini19]

KMac, I thought ESPN might have handled it about as classy as ESPN can do it. I think Peyton Manning looked like he had been crying for several minutes. He just didn't look good.

The Chicago news, as they do with everything, found a Chicago connection. Lovie Smith is off of the Tony Dungy coaching tree. Chicago fans complain (foolishly) that Lovie Smith doesn't show enough emotion or fire on the sidelines or anywhere else for that matter.

This was the first time in his two years here that he has really opened himself in front of our city publically.

The news coverage of this will last until Dungy comes back. And since the Colts are in the thick of the Super Bowl hunt, expect it for another month.

Hopefully these news media bozos show some class and respect for a change.

 

[KMac151993]

Still the kid was a bad egg, and everyone tries to make it look like he was an angel. You know you have serious problems if you kill yourself right before Christmas and a possible Super Bowl trip.

 

[AlbuquerqueIrishFan]

It's a sad deal no matter how you slice it. It's just sad because it seems like he had a lot going for him in terms of opportunity. His dad had money and connections. He could have gone to school and persued his dreams...to sad.

 

[IrishCPA]

Still the kid was a bad egg, and everyone tries to make it look like he was an angel. You know you have serious problems if you kill yourself right before Christmas and a possible Super Bowl trip.

Where are you getting the information that he was a bad egg. A lot of very good people go through depression, it doesn't just effect the "bad eggs". Unless you have specific reports of James getting in trouble and being a "bad egg", keep you personal opinions about the recently deceased to yourself.

 

[KMac151993]

IrishCPA:

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051223/SPORTS03/512230497

 

[KMac151993]

Also if you checked out his webpage, it was obviously not faked and if it was then this was set up back in October. He had also called the cops this fall when he attempted to OD on meds because of his depression. Hopefully my Butler Bulldogs can get a big win over IU tonight to end this rediculous media coverage. I have lost a lot of respect for Tony Dungy as a father as what father would let there son live alone hundred of miles away when he had already once tried to kill himself?

 

[guff]

Where's the "bad egg" in that story? Has my reading comprehension fallen to FSU levels?

For reference my definition of "bad egg" includes but is not limited to gun toting, drug running, chick pimping and a RAP sheet. This kid a website talking smack and said "F... Thanksgiving".

So unless you have the power to see into a man's soul I suggest you let the dead rest in peace.

 

[KMac151993]

What more do you want from his site...it includes pictures of drugs, pictures of him with guns and lists of sexual positions as well as him politely telling the police to F*** off. If that doesn't constitute a "bad egg" then I don't know what is.

 

[guff]

He never DID any of the stuff. Show me some of evidence of bad actions and maybe I'll agree with you. What is apparent is that this kid had a troubled head. And the website was part of that troubled head.

Let him rest and pray that you never have to bury one of your children.

 

[Vince Young]

Y'know, last time I checked, being 18 in this country legally makes you an adult, which in turn makes you responsible for your own choices, your own glories, your own mistakes, and your own wrong-doings. Tony Dungy's son obviously made the choice to live on his own in Lutz, Florida, away from whatever support system his father and family could've provided. (Heck, for that matter, his son may have preferred Lutz because that's where his friends were, and maybe he thought their support system was better.) That's the son's responsibility, not the father's.

Unless Tony Dungy actively did something to push his own son over the brink of suicide (which I highly doubt), the decision to kill himself was also his son's responsibility, and his alone. Whatever he may have gotten himself into, whatever drugs he may have taken, whatever was going on in his own head, none of that deserves death. I feel nothing but sadness for him.

As for Tony Dungy himself, this is nothing short of tragic for him. No judgements from me on this one.

Grieve as much as you need to, Tony, and then go win it all. Win it all for your son.

 

[BGIF]

... he will be in my prayers and i hope in everyone else's. football is always secondary to family and the ones we love.

Jiggs, Indy, Albuquerque, CPA, Guff, and Vince, it's nice to see understanding and compassion expressed with class by so many.

In his press conference today Charlie Weis was asked about the incident. "A parent's worst nightmare. I went home and sat down and talked with Charlie."

Any medical professional can tell you how much they dread this time of year. It's a stressful time. The highest suicide rate of the year is pre-Christmas. And many of the elderly and infirm that struggled to make it through Christmas "for the family" let go before the new year.

I've asked a friend on campus to light a candle at The Grotto, on our behalf, for the Dungy family.

 

[BGIF]

You, who are on the road,
Must have a code that you can live by.
And so, become yourself,
Because the past is just a good bye.
Teach your children well,
Their father's hell did slowly go by.
And feed them on your dreams,
The one they picks, the one you'll know by.

Don't you ever ask them why, if they told you, you will cry,
So just look at them and sigh and know they love you.

And you, of tender years,
Can't know the fears that your elders grew by.
And so please help them with your youth,
They seek the truth before they can die.
Teach your parents well,
Their children's hell will slowly go by.
And feed them on your dreams,
The one they picks, the one you'll know by.

Don't you ever ask them why, if they told you, you will cry,
So just look at them and sigh and know they love you.......

CSN&Y

 

[KMac151993]

Ok since James Dungy means so much to everyone around here and his suicide, I am going to start a thread for every person that commits suicide this comming year. I am sick of hearing about a "troubled" kid when innocent people die every day and their families don't get jack said about them. This is stupid I can not feel sorry for anyone that commits suicide, I do feel bad for the family especially around the Christmas season.

 

[Vince Young]

KMac, it's not like this is a contest of "my son's suicide is more tragic than yours" or something. But for better or for worse, this is a celebrity-centered culture, and any tragedy that affects a celebrity is going to get talked about more than any comparable tragedy that doesn't involve a celebrity. That doesn't make it any more tragic, but it also doesn't mage it any less tragic either.

And at the risk of turning this into a flame-war, that's all I'm gonna say.