An Interview with Football Coach Tony Dungy

I know it's hard to feel anything but animosity towards pro-footballer Michael Vick but Coach Tony Dungy see something else in Vick's circumstances:

Tony Dungy's favorite verse in the Bible is Matthew 16:26: "What does it profit a man to gain the whole world but forfeit his soul?"

"In my 30 years in the NFL, I've seen a lot of that," says the first African-American head coach to win a Super Bowl and a best-selling author of inspirational books. "All the notoriety, all the accolades, all the money that people could get, and you see guys that aren't happy, and have personal problems because they haven't directed their lives toward something that's going to be long lasting."

In his case, faith and family provide direction. For years he has worked through his prison ministry and mentored kids and families, dads above all, and naturally his players. But the troubled soul he has on his mind, sitting over an orange juice at his hotel in midtown Manhattan Thursday, is Michael Vick.

I don't follow sports and I don't much like what Vick did with his dogs but he's served the punishment he was given and now seems to be seeking redemption. We ask for our own sins to be forgiven as we forgive others so it's only right we include the likes of Vick in that forgiveness. As far as we know, Vick's road to redemption appears genuine. Dungy sets a tough example for us to follow but, hey, who said being a Christian, or acting like one, was easy?

I'm just glad, as I'm sure Michael Vick is as well, for people like Coach Dungy. Redemption is available for everyone.