Book Review: Quiet Strength by Tony Dungy

Nov 02

I’ve been impressed by Tony Dungy ever since I watched the Indianapolis Colts win the Super Bowl four years ago in 2007. Needless to say, after reading his book Quiet Strength: The Principles, Practices, and Priorities of a Winning Life, I have become an even bigger fan.

Over the years, I have read several sports books and motivational/leadership books, but this was the first I have read that combines both these genres together in a Christ-centered way. I was inspired by Coach Dungy’s reflective story about his football journey and encouraged by his walk with the Lord. For football fans, this is a must-read of how a gentle giant helped lead one of the NFL’s strongest teams to the Vince Lombardi trophy.

Book Summary

Tony Dungy’s words and example have intrigued millions of people, particularly following his victory in Super Bowl XLI, the first for an African American coach. How is it possible for a coach—especially a football coach—to win the respect of his players and lead them to the Super Bowl without the screaming histrionics, the profanities, the demand that the sport come before anything else? How is it possible for anyone to be successful without compromising faith and family? In this inspiring and reflective memoir, Coach Dungy tells the story of a life lived for God and family—and challenges us all to redefine our ideas of what it means to succeed. Includes a foreword by Denzel Washington and a 16-page color photo insert.

About the Author

Tony Dungy led the Indianapolis Colts to Super Bowl victory on February 4, 2007, the first such win for an African American coach. Dungy had taken eight of his previous ten teams to the playoffs. With this victory, he joined Mike Ditka and Tom Flores as the only individuals to win the Super Bowl as a player and head coach.

My Favorite Quotes from Quiet Strength

“Champions don’t beat themselves,” he told us. “If you want to win, do the ordinary things better than anyone else does—day in and day out. We’re not going to fool people or outscheme them. We’re just going to outplay them. Because we’ll know what we’re doing. When we get into a critical situation, we won’t have to think. We’ll play fast and fundamentally sound.”

“Champions are champions not because they do anything extraordinary but because they do the ordinary things better than anyone else.” Chuck Noll

“There’s no time during a game to look back; the play clock is running.”

“It’s always easier to do things the wrong way, but it’s always best to do them the right way.” CleoMae Dungy

“I think there are times when I believe God welcomes the circus into our lives to give us an opportunity to show that there’s another way to live and respond to things.”