Tony Dungy retired after seven seasons as head coach of the Indianapolis Colts, a decision he has wrestled with over the past couple offseasons. Dungy was one of the most well-respected coaches in NFL history, so it’s no surprise that the accolades are already starting to roll in.

Chiefs coach Herman Edwards was one of Dungy’s disciples. Edwards said that Dungy’s legacy will far outlive the wins and losses on the football field, and that Dungy influenced lives on and off the field. Edwards said Dungy’s presence will continue to reach far beyond his retirement.

“Tony has meant a great deal to the National Football League. He has been a great head coach and a person who always did things for the betterment of the league. He always made the players well aware of what was important, to play in the league and how you conducted yourself. He was also a guy who was always thoughtful about giving young coaches opportunities. I think if you look at his tree and his legacy, it will be filled with a bunch of guys that were given their first chances. He always felt that way, even when he was coming out of college in 1977, when we first met. His whole mindset was to give guys opportunities if he was going to be a coach. He’d give guys chances that maybe other people wouldn’t.”
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• The Tampa Tribune‘s Joe Henderson said that Dungy’s place in football history has long since been secure, but as fine a football coach as he was, it is generally agreed that he is an even better person.

• The St. Petersburg Times‘ Gary Shelton added that as Dungy walks away from a coaching career at age 53, his legacy is less as a coach and more as a man.

• Rick Brown of the Ledger (Lakeland, Fla.) says that we’ve all heard the saying, “You don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone,” or something like that. Well, the NFL is about to know how Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans feel.

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