"Uncommon" Video Contest Encourages People to Share Stories of Uncommon Heroes and Win an Uncommon Time of Service with Tony Dungy
Carol Stream, Ill. – Many people think of Tony Dungy, the New York Times’ best-selling author and recently-retired head coach of the 2007 Super Bowl–winning Indianapolis Colts, as an Uncommon Hero. But those who know him quickly discover that Coach Dungy has found a life of significance in something above and beyond “hero status.”
“We tend to measure success in terms of wins and losses, but there are so many people out there leading uncommon lives by serving and mentoring,” said Dungy. “The significance of their contributions can’t be measured on a scoreboard. We hope these videos will let people see a different type of success.”
Entrants are invited to create and submit a short (five minutes or less) video entry featuring the story of an Uncommon Hero in their life (parent, relative, teacher, neighbor, coach, pastor, or friend). Estimated retail value of the Grand Prize is $3,300, which includes free round-trip airfare from a US commercial airport to Indianapolis for up to four (4) people, including the winner, the person who submits the video, and up to two (2) immediate family members, plus hotel accommodations and $600 for meals and other expenses.
Up to 160 runner-up prizes will include NFL footballs signed by Tony Dungy, signed copies of Uncommon by Tony Dungy with Nathan Whitaker, copies of the New York Times’ best seller Quiet Strength by Tony Dungy with Nathan Whitaker, and Dare to Be Uncommon™ wristbands.
A review panel chosen by Tyndale House Publishers will select the Grand Prize winner and other winners using the following criteria: how compelling the story of the Uncommon Hero is; the quality of storytelling in the video; and overall uncommon and creative ways this information is presented in the video submission. The deadline for entries is Wednesday, April 15.
Full details, terms, and conditions of “Win an Uncommon Time of Service with Tony Dungy” video essay contest may be obtained at http://www.daretobeuncommon.net/.
Launched with a national media tour on Tuesday, January 27, Tyndale released Uncommon: Finding Your Path to Significance by Tony Dungy with Nathan Whitaker. Tyndale has ordered a fourth printing of the book, bringing the total number of books in print to over 360,000.
In the #1 New York Times’ best seller, Quiet Strength: The Principles, Practices, and Priorities of a Winning Life, by Tony Dungy with Nathan Whitaker (Tyndale 2007), readers learned how Dungy went from Michigan kid to Super Bowl–winning head coach. Dungy’s memoir rocketed to the top spot on the New York Times Best Sellers List in August 2007. “More importantly, the book impacted countless lives,” said Jan Long Harris, Associate Publisher. With more than one million copies sold, Quiet Strength is one of the best-selling sports-related titles in history.
In his new book, Uncommon: Finding Your Path to Significance, Dungy takes readers to the next level as he reveals the secrets he has learned to achieving significance, the kind of success that satisfies—lessons learned from his remarkable parents, his athletic and coaching career, his mentors, and his walk with God.
Tyndale House Publishers recently had another football-related best seller with Don’t Bet Against Me!, the memoir of Deanna Favre, wife of NFL great Bret Favre. Her book spent ten consecutive weeks on either the New York Times Hardcover Nonfiction primary list (top 15) or expanded list (top 35). More than 800,000 copies of the book are now in print, and it is now in its eighth printing. Last July, Tyndale released The Winners Manual: For the Game of Life by Ohio State University football coach Jim Tressel, and the book spent eight consecutive weeks on the New York Times Advice, How-To, and Miscellaneous List (either primary or expanded), reaching as high as Number 3. In 2007, Tyndale also released Atlanta Falcons placekicker Jason Elam’s debut novel, Monday Night Jihad, followed by his second novel, Blown Coverage, this past January.
Tyndale House Publishers was founded in 1962 by Dr. Kenneth N. Taylor as a means of publishing The Living Bible. Now one of the premier publishing houses in the industry, Tyndale has published various products which have become New York Times’ best sellers, including the popular Left Behind series. Tyndale also publishes the New Living Translation of the Bible and recently introduced The NLT Study Bible. Tyndale House Publishers is located in Carol Stream, Illinois, a suburb west of Chicago.
The author is represented by the literary agency of Legacy, LLC, Winter Park, Florida.
Former Indianapolis Colts football Coach Tony Dungy will be in the metro area Saturday for two events to promote his newest self-improvement book.
In the morning, he's scheduled to speak during a program featuring positive role models from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Traders Point Christian Church, 6590 South Indianapolis Road, Whitestown.
Then in the afternoon, he is due to autograph copies of his recently published book at a Christian bookstore in Plainfield.
Dungy is scheduled from 3:30 to 5 p.m. in the Family Christian Store, 401 Plainfield Commons. The shop is in the Plainfield Commons shopping center, in the 2600 block of East Main Street.
His latest book, "Uncommon, Finding Your Path to Significance" ($19.95, Tyndale House Publishers) debuted last week at No. 2 on the New York Times bestseller list of advice and how-to books.
This is the third consecutive Dungy title to reach the Times list. His first was "Quiet Strength: The Principles, Practices and Priorities of a Winning Life" (Tyndale, 2007) which reached the top of the hardcover nonfiction list. And "You Can Do It!" (Little Simon Inspirations, 2008), which was number 1 on the children's list.
Dungy has been on a multi-state book-signing and promotional tour. More information is available at www.coachdungy.com and on Facebook at the "Dare to Be Uncommon" fan page.
Tony Duny wrote an op-ed piece for the New York Times called "Diversity Everywhere but the Sidelines." You can read the whole article here or on the site:
In the last month, we witnessed the inauguration of our first African-American president and also saw Mike Tomlin of the Pittsburgh Steelers become the second African-American head coach to lead his team to a Super Bowl win. The fact that there was very little talk of Tomlin’s race in the week leading up to the game suggests just how much progress has been made in terms of black men in leadership positions in the N.F.L.
February is also the month that high school football players choose the colleges they will attend in the fall. While it’s an exciting day for those seniors, it’s a disapointing day for me. You see, many of those players who choose the top schools are African-American and yet almost none of them will get the opportunity to play for an African-American head coach. Of 120 teams in the N.C.A.A.’s Bowl Subdivision, the top tier of play, only seven have black head coaches.
One would think that our universities would be leading the way in progressive thinking. You wouldn’t think that in 2009 it would be more likely for an African-American to become president of the United States than to be hired as head coach of a top-20 football program. But that seems to be the case.
Over the past decade I’ve been contacted by many universities who were looking for head coaches. I’ve recommended African-American coaches including Herm Edwards, Lovie Smith, Mike Tomlin, Ron Meeks and Leslie Frazier — men with great leadership skills and great track records in the N.F.L. None was hired, and rarely did they even get interviewed by those universities.
With the progress that has been made in terms of diversity in politics, in other collegiate sports and in professional football — Edwards, Smith and Tomlin all got top jobs in the N.F.L. — why is college football hiring so far behind? At a seminar last spring in Indianapolis with other N.F.L. and college head coaches and university athletic directors, I asked that very question, and was enlightened by the responses of those directors. The biggest factor, they said, was the involvement of other people associated with the universities. It was not just the president and the athletic director who made the hiring decisions — alumni and boosters were involved, and the presidents often felt pressure to hire coaches the boosters would support.
That appears to be the biggest difference between the N.F.L. and the N.C.A.A. in hiring practices. While a university president may have to appease alumni, Dan Rooney, the owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers, can hire someone like Tomlin without having to consult anyone else. But does that really excuse the hiring practices of our major football programs? Shouldn’t minority students be able to see role models of diverse leadership at the college level? How long should we give a pass to these institutions that should be at the forefront of diversity?
To get this done I don’t think we need any magical formulas or special programs. We don’t need task forces to uncover good candidates. Our universities merely need to do what’s right — hire the best candidates, regardless of race. We’ll see diversity as those minority coaches win their share of championships. I think Mike Tomlin proved that this month.
Tony Dungy, the former head coach of the Indianapolis Colts and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, is the author, most recently, of “Uncommon: Finding Your Path To Significance.”
World Premiere of the "Uncommon" Radio Single Debuts
New York Times Bestseller Tony Dungy Releases “Uncommon” World Premiere of “Uncommon” Radio Single Debuts on KLOVE Network w/Tony Dungy & Writer Matthew West Friday, February 20 – 7:45am ET Live Duet Performance by Greg Long & Kristy Starling Premiers at Uncommon Conference w/Tony Dungy CCN Live Telecast to be Broadcast to over 1,000 Churches
February 19, 2009 (Colorado Springs, CO) – Former Indianapolis Colts head football coach Tony Dungy’s new book from Tyndale House Publishers titled, Uncommon: Finding Your Path to Significance, debuted on The New York Times Best Sellers List on Sunday, February 15, at the No. 2 spot on the hardcover “Advice, How-To, and Miscellaneous” list. Dungy’s first book, Quiet Strength, spent more than 30 weeks on the list and has sold more than 1,000,000 copies.
With the release of Uncommon, Tyndale and multi-Dove Award nominee and sought-after songwriter Matthew West have written a theme song for the book which will be released to radio.
"After reading Tony's book I was so inspired that I could have written 10 songs,” said Matthew West. “His challenge to go against the flow and do the right thing is a timely message for a world that needs to hear it.”
The song is titled “Uncommon” and is sung by Greg Long (Avalon) and Kristy Starling and produced by multi-Dove Award winner Don Koch (In Christ Alone, The Basics of Life). “I have followed the career of Coach Dungy since he was the defensive coordinator with the Steelers,” said Greg Long. “I thank God for men like him who run after integrity in the name of Christ, and I am honored to be involved with a well-written song that helps communicate what he wants his life to be about.”
Greg Long and Kristy Starling will perform the song “Uncommon” live as part of a life CCN Network telecast to over 1,000 churches at the Tony Dungy “Dare to Be Uncommon” conference on February 21 in Indianapolis. http://www.ccn.tv/dungy/
"In a world of non-believers, Tony's devotion to Christ has allowed him influence into the lives of people everywhere,” said Kristy Starling. “It truly is captivating to watch what God is doing through him."
The “Uncommon” song will be featured for the first time on radio as a world premier on hundreds of stations across the U.S. exclusively over the KLOVE Radio Network. KLOVE morning hosts Jon and Sherry Rivers will speak live with Tony Dungy and Matthew West on Friday, February 20 at 7:45am Eastern Time and then the “Uncommon” song will debut. The “Uncommon” radio single will officially release to Christian radio through CRW Platinum Gold Radio Promotions and to secular radio through Westar Radio Promotions on Tuesday, February 24 along with a 1-hour radio special, story vignettes and PSAs. Click this link to preview all “Uncommon” audio.
Tyndale House author Bill Dallas is scheduled to appear on the “Hour of Power” television program the weekend of February 21-22.
“Hour of Power” airs Saturdays at 6 pm PST on TBN and Sundays at 8 am EST/PST on Lifetime.
Dallas and co-author George Barna have recently released Lessons from San Quentin: Everything I Needed to Know about Life I Learned in Prison, which chronicles Bill’s personal journey from narcissistic playboy to suicidal inmate to spiritual apprentice. Bill Dallas is the founder and CEO of the Church Communication Network.
Dianne Matthews on "The Christian Women's View" Tonight
Dianne Neal Matthews will be on "The Christian Women's View" program on We Love Girl Talk Radio tonight at 7:00 PM CST. She will be discussing The One Year Women of the Bible if you're interested on listening in.
This is a call-in show, so feel free to call and ask a question or make a comment! Go here to listen to the show.
When Tony Dungy announced his retirement as head coach of the Indianapolis Colts last month, his greatest concern was withdrawal. He’d been a member of the National Football League fraternity for 31 years as a player and coach. How could he not miss the game? More than a month into retirement, Dungy said he has been pleasantly surprised. Between making appearances for his latest book, “Uncommon: Finding Your Path to Significance,” and traveling between Indianapolis and Tampa, Fla., for various church missions, he hasn’t had a chance to miss the game.
On Monday he went to the Florida State Fair. “I took the kids and hung out all day and had a great time,” Dungy said Tuesday by phone. “I’m learning that there’s life away from football.” He’s surprised by how quickly he has unplugged himself from the game. When young coaches have called looking for jobs and asking Dungy to make calls on their behalf, he’s surprised to discover that in many instances he has lost track of which jobs are open and who is coaching where. Just five weeks ago he knew the coaching carousel by heart.
Only once has he really thought about football: during a talk at a local church. “They played a video clip of the Colts’ 2008 season,” Dungy said. “When I saw the guys flash up there, I said: ‘Man, I’m going to miss that. I’m going to miss being up there on a daily basis.’ Until then, I’d been running so much with the book and different things, trying to figure out where I’m going to go next, that I hadn’t really thought about it.”
Dungy won’t be completely divorced from football. He has a mission in mind that involves college football. He intends to lead the crusade to break down big-time college football’s resistance to hiring African-Americans as head coaches.
While the win-driven N.F.L. has moved toward enlightenment when it comes to diversity among head coaches, there are only six African-American head football coaches at the Division I-A level.
“To think that you would have a black president of the United States and two black men who have won Super Bowls before you would have a black head coach in a top-20 school is hard to believe,” Dungy said. “It doesn’t make sense.”
“The baffling thing for me is that you can have African-American professors at these schools, you can be the head of the department, you can be the basketball coach, you can be the track coach, but you can’t be the football coach. How are we going to change that? I don’t know.”
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, head basketball coaches like John Thompson at Georgetown, John Chaney at Temple and Nolan Richardson at Arkansas mounted boycott and protest efforts against the N.C.A.A. over legislation they felt would unfairly discriminate against African-American athletes. The point is that those coaches had the clout and the reputations to command the N.C.A.A.’s attention.
Very few African-American college football coaches today have enough sway and job security to flex their muscles.
Dungy could hold the key. The Colts’ chaplain, Ken Johnson, told him as much after he announced his retirement. Dungy said: “He told me: ‘I know you’re going to be thinking about what you’re going to do, just remember you’re able to do some things that not everyone else can do. Don’t forget about that.’ ”
When the University of Minnesota was looking for a head coach two years ago, Joel Maturi, the director of athletics, called Dungy, who had been a star quarterback at Minnesota in the early 1970s. Although he wasn’t interested, Dungy recommended Mike Tomlin, then a defensive coordinator with the Vikings, and Leslie Frazier, then an assistant with the Colts.
Minnesota hired Tim Brewster, a former tight ends coach with the Denver Broncos, whose teams have since gone 8-17 in his two seasons in college football.
In a phone interview on Tuesday, Maturi said that on Dungy’s recommendation he contacted Tomlin and Frazier. He said they were also contacted by the university’s search firm. “Neither of them wanted a college job,” Maturi said. “They wanted to stay in the pros.”
Maturi said he interviewed two African-American candidates: Mike Haywood, now the head coach at Miami of Ohio, and Charlie Strong, the University of Florida defensive coordinator.
“I hired the best football coach who was available; I hired the best basketball coach that was available,” he said.
At the same time, Maturi realized that the larger challenge is achieving diversity among those who do the hiring and firing. “The reality is that most of the athletic directors are white males, and they have a certain comfort level with other white males,” Maturi said. “That will change. Maybe not as quickly as some want , but it will change.”
The N.C.A.A. does not have a Rooney Rule requiring teams to interview minority head coaching candidates. Whereas a strong owner can make the call in the N.F.L., a college president, ever the fund-raiser, is often beholden to large donors and boosters.
“Colleges are result driven, but the difference is that when Dan Rooney decides to hire Mike Tomlin, he doesn’t have to worry about any ramifications other than people buying tickets,” Dungy said.
“The athletic director and the president at the University of Minnesota, they get Mike Tomlin’s name and their response is: How’s this going to affect donations? How’s this going to affect alumni relations? How’s this going to affect a whole lot of other things?”
Last year, Dungy said he attended a seminar in Indianapolis attended by a handful of athletic directors and black head coaches at Division I programs and in the N.F.L. Tyrone Willingham, the former head coach at Notre Dame and the University of Washington, was in the room.
Dungy said that during the meeting, Kevin White, the former Notre Dame athletic director, spoke hypothetically about how boosters, by leveraging substantial donations, could play a significant role in the selection of a head football coach.
“That’s the pressure, that’s why it’s difficult, that’s why it is different,” Dungy said. He added: “I don’t know how you change that unless an institution makes a moral stand and says, ‘We’ve just got to be a strong enough force that we’re going to do what’s right and if it does costs us a $12 million library, we’ll make up for it.’ ”
That’s quintessential Dungy.
Unfortunately, you won’t find many Tony Dungys around big-time college sports programs.
St. Petersburg Times staff writer Kevin Smetana wrote this excellent and wonderful story about Tony Dungy from his visit to Brandon, Florida last week. This article truly showcases the coach's inspiring character.
That's the lesson Ilene Stubbs learned from Tony Dungy, and she says it helped save her husband's life.
In August, Fred Stubbs suffered serious injuries in a motorcycle accident. The doctor said he probably wouldn't make it, but Ilene believed otherwise.
"I looked at the doctor and said, 'I'm going to pray that you're going to have wisdom beyond what you know, and you're going to be amazed at the results,' " she said. "I think Tony speaking out so boldly gives other Christians that opportunity to know they need to speak boldly."
Today, Fred is walking with a cane.
"I truly believe (that) because I spoke boldly to that doctor, he went in and tried just a little bit harder," said Stubbs, one of several hundred Dungy fans at Ave Maria Christian gift store in Brandon on Saturday getting the former NFL coach's autograph.
Dungy, the Bucs' coach from 1996 to 2001, remains an icon in Tampa Bay for his community outreach work, Christian beliefs and calm demeanor. At Ave Maria, he engaged in conversations with fans, shook their hands and thanked them for coming out.
"There's no made-for-television with this guy," said former Tampa Bay Lightning General Manager Jay Feaster, a Brandon resident and one of the first in line Saturday. "He's genuine. He's inspirational."
With co-author Nathan Whitaker at his side, Dungy was promoting his latest book, Uncommon: Finding Your Path to Significance. He also signed copies of his 2007 New York Times best seller, Quiet Strength and his children's book, You Can Do It!
Dungy said hearing people like Ilene Stubbs tell their stories of how he and his books have influenced them is gratifying.
"You go into football hoping to help young men become better players and better people," said Dungy, who recently retired after seven seasons with the Colts. "You hope to have an impact on the guys on your team, but to hear people say the book helped them, that does make me feel good."
Dozens of autograph seekers brought their kids so they could meet a man described by many as the ideal role model for his involvement in charities, including All Pro Dad and the Boys and Girls Club.
"It's a great family moment to see a man of character," said Valrico resident Norman Harris, while waiting in line with his wife and three kids. "For the kids, it's just a great lesson for them."
Once the Harrises reached the front of the line, Dungy let 8-year-old Jake and 6-year-old Henry try on his Super Bowl ring from the Colts' 2006 season.
"It just touched my heart to have somebody with such integrity and such character and faith appreciate my children," their mother, Jessica Harris, said.
Jeanine Johnson, of Valrico, brought her 11-year-old son, Noah, to meet Dungy because he is a "strong example" of how to live a family life. She plans on discussing Uncommon with her son as he reads it while approaching his teenage years.
"There are negative sports figures out there, and it's too bad that our young people look up to them," she said. "So I think this is a refreshing change."
Noah got a compliment from Dungy for his retro, creamsicle Mike Alstott jersey.
"He's a good person," Noah said. "He's really respectful, especially to his (former players). I wish he would have kept coaching instead of retiring now."
Dungy has been busy since retiring, doing 13 book signings in eight days. He said he believes it was the right time to leave the game, but wouldn't rule out a return to the NFL.
"I never would have foreseen myself writing books, and here I am, so I guess I can't close any doors," said Dungy, who is back living in Tampa. "But really I see myself doing other things."
Kevin Smetana can be reached at ksmetana@sptimes.com or (813) 661-2439.
DUNGY’S UNCOMMON NO. 2 ON NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLERS LIST
For immediate release February 10, 2009
DUNGY’S UNCOMMON NO. 2 ON NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLERS LIST Former Indianapolis Colts head coach reaches New York Times Best Sellers List for third time, this time on “Advice, How-To, and Miscellaneous” list
Carol Stream, Ill. – Former Indianapolis Colts head football coach Tony Dungy’s book, Uncommon: Finding Your Path to Significance, will appear on the New York Times Best Sellers List on Sunday, February 15, debuting at the No. 2 spot on the hardcover “Advice, How-To, and Miscellaneous” list. Uncommon joins other top titles, including Steve Harvey’s Act Like a Lady, Think Like A Man (No. 1), Randy Pausch’s The Last Lecture (No. 3), Liz Vaccariello’s Flat Belly Diet! (No. 4), and Rhonda Byrne’s The Secret (No. 5). This is the third consecutive Dungy title to reach the New York Times list, following the success of Quiet Strength: The Principles, Practices & Priorities of a Winning Life (Tyndale, July 2007)—which reached No. 1 on the hardcover nonfiction list—and You Can Do It! (Little Simon Inspirations, July 2008), which was No. 1 on the children’s list.
Dungy’s Uncommon marks the fourth sports-related Tyndale title that has earned a spot on the prestigious New York Times Best Sellers List, joining Ohio State head football coach Jim Tressel’s The Winners Manual (July 2008), Deanna Favre’s Don’t Bet Against Me! (October 2007), and Dungy’s Quiet Strength (July 2007). Quiet Strength spent more than 30 weeks on the list and has sold more than 1,000,000 copies. The softcover edition of Quiet Strength has also made the New York Times Best Sellers List. These accomplishments are even more impressive considering the fact that the New York Times does not poll Christian booksellers as part of its ranking methodology.
Uncommon was buoyed by a comprehensive media and book signing tour that included a total of 13 book signings in New York, New Jersey, Indiana, and Florida. Dungy also appeared on ABC’s Good Morning America, NBC’s TODAY show, CBS’s The Late Show with David Letterman, FOX’s On the Record with Greta Van Susteren, FOX & Friends, Rush Limbaugh’s radio program, and nearly 100 other interviews.
The Author is represented by the literary agency of Legacy, LLC, Winter Park, Florida.
Tyndale House Publishers was founded in 1962 by Dr. Kenneth N. Taylor as a means of publishing The Living Bible. It is now one of the premier publishing houses in the industry. Tyndale products include numerous New York Times best sellers, including the popular Left Behind series. In addition to Bibles in the New Living Translation (NLT), Tyndale publishes many other resources for church and family. Tyndale House Publishers is located in Carol Stream, Illinois, a western suburb of Chicago.
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The Tony Dungy Uncommon book tour has concluded with two days of very successful book signings in Tampa. This past Friday morning we flew from Indianapolis to Tampa and drove immediately to the FOX affiliate in Tampa, where Coach Dungy did a :30 minute interview with host Kathy Fountain for her show, “Your Turn.” It was a fun show to watch because they had unearthed some footage of Tony playing college basketball at the University of Minnesota.
Immediately following our departure we drove to Lifeway Christian Store in Citrus Park, where we were eagerly greeted by Maggie, the store owner who had taken such great care of us during the Quiet Strength tour two years earlier. The weather was certainly better this time around as fans were forced to stand in the rain to wait to get their books signed during the Quiet Strength tour. We thought we might have time for a longer dinner but by the time we arrived in Lakeland for that evening’s signings we had to eat very quickly at Moe’s Southwest Grill. I am glad that we arrived on time at the Books-a-Million in Lakeland because the turnout was huge. Coach Dungy signed for well more than two hours and signed more than 1,000 books. It was a wonderful turnout. The ride back to our hotel was emotional as Coach Dungy spent his time on the phone trying to give encouragement to a dad who had just recently lost a son to suicide. It was a remarkable car ride to hear Coach Dungy lend an ear as a friend.
Saturday morning Coach Dungy and Nathan Whitaker signed books at Ave Maria Christian Books and Gifts in Brandon, FL, which is owned by Kevin O’Donnell, who is a sports anchor at FOX 13 in Tampa. It was another great turnout and Coach Dungy signed books for nearly three hours. Although a small store, the staff did a wonderful job managing the turnout.
The end of these tours is always bittersweet. While we have such a great time, the schedule is grueling. The Saturday prior to the Super Bowl, I tried to pay for lunch with my hotel room key--that was a pretty good indication that I was getting tired. I’m not sure Coach Dungy ever gets tired. However, we were truly blessed just as we were two years ago with the tour for Quiet Strength. We had no travel delays, we met some amazing people, and Coach Dungy is such a great example of what it means to be a genuine follower of Jesus Christ. Jessica Quinn, Nathan Whitaker, DJ Snell (Tony’s literary agent), and I spend so many hours together on these trips that you are bound to see just about any chink in someone’s armor. Never did we see Coach Dungy frustrated, nor did we ever see him treat anyone with disrespect. He is a genuine, humble, man with a kind soul. I drove around Chicago yesterday with his Quiet Strength audio book playing in my car because I think I must have missed his voice. I think he makes everyone who spends time with him want to live his or her life for the Lord.
Tonight wraps up another successful day on the Uncommon media tour. We spent the day in Bloomington, IN and Indianapolis.
The day started out with a visit to Indiana University in Bloomington. Tony met IU head football coach Bill Lynch and head basketball coach Tom Crean. Tony also shared some wisdom with the IU basketball team.
We met about 500 people at an Uncommon book signing in the Indiana Memorial Union. Tony signed for about two and a half hours. Then we drove around IU’s beautiful campus. We were treated very well.
Tyndale employees Sharon Leavitt, Nancy Clausen, Katie Anderson, and Yolanda Sidney joined us in Bloomington as well.
After our visit to Bloomington, we drove to the Indianapolis-area for a packed signing at the Meijer in Carmel. This signing was standing-room only and unfortunately we couldn’t get through everyone who wanted a book signed. Tony even stayed a little longer than the two-hour signing. The worst part of these signings is having to turn people away.
At night we had an interview at WISH-TV with Anthony Calhoun, the sports anchor at the station.
Yesterday (Wednesday), we drove from Indianapolis to Ft. Wayne for two assemblies at North Side High School. All the freshmen in this school district attended the assemblies. There were students from three schools in the morning and three schools in the afternoon. Our hosts at North Side High School were great.
Then we headed to Family Christian Store in Ft. Wayne. This signing was very well attended. A couple hours later we had another signing at the Wal-Mart in Ft. Wayne. This was probably the best turn out for a signing I’ve seen out of all the Quiet Strength and Uncommon book signings.
Uncommon has been having a wonderful impact on those who read it. This is proven by the wonderful start the book is having on the bestseller lists. Uncommon will debut at #2 on the New York Times bestseller list in the “Advice, How-To, Miscellaneous” list on February 15. It is also #31 on the USA Today Top 150 Bestsellers and #4 on the Publishers Weekly non-fiction list.
Tomorrow (today when this is posted) we’ll leave the hotel early in the morning to head to Tampa again for two more book signings.
Tony arrived in Indianapolis late last night from Tampa. In the morning, he was on The Steve Harvey Show, a nationally syndicated radio show in New York.
There was fairly heavy snowfall in the morning, which led to slow travel all day. In the early afternoon, we participated in an assembly at Northwest High School in Indianapolis. Tony spoke for 10 minutes and then the students asked him questions for about 20 minutes.
After the assembly, we headed out to Borders in the Keystone area for a book signing. This one was also very well attended. Tony signed for nearly two hours straight.
Following the Borders signing, we went to Sam’s Club in Indianapolis for another book signing. We were able to stop for dinner at Blue Crew Sports Grill in North Indy. It’s a Colts-themed restaurant, which was pretty cool.
Today several Tyndale personnel also joined us on the tour, including: Sharon Leavitt, author relations manager; Yolanda Sidney, marketing manager; and David Endrody, VP of Sales.
The Sam’s Club signing in the evening was well-attended by many enthusiastic fans. The signing was supposed to be for two hours, but Tony ended up signing for about two hours and 10 minutes straight.
We have more pictures added on our “Dare to be Uncommon” Facebook fan page, so be sure to check those out.
This morning (Wednesday), Tony had an interview at WISH-TV in Indianapolis and now we’re headed off to Fort Wayne.
Coach Dungy had an exciting day Sunday. He had the opportunity to be a commentator for the pre-game, half time, and post-game Super Bowl coverage on NBC.
Saturday morning, Tony was honored at a prayer breakfast hosted by Athletes in Action. It was the 10th anniversary of this event and over 6,000 people attended. Tony was honored in a “This is Your Life” scenario. Seven or eight people from Tony’s past--including Donnie Shell of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Warrick Dunn of the Buccaneers, and others—came up and shared how Tony impacted their lives. It was extremely meaningful.
The rest of Saturday was mostly filled with meetings to prepare for the NBC Super Bowl broadcast. Tony also had a book signing in Tampa that was very well attended. He signed for nearly 2 hours straight. Fans even brought their copies of Quiet Strength and You Can Do It!, Tony’s children’s book, to be signed in addition to Uncommon.
Today is a travel day for all of us. We have two signings tomorrow in Indy before heading to Fort Wayne, IN on Wednesday. Tony will also be doing a school event at North Side High School in Indianapolis Tuesday morning.
Today concluded the fourth day of the Uncommon media tour. As with all the other days so far, we’ve been tremendously blessed. This has been a remarkable day.
We left our hotel at 5:30 AM with only two hours of sleep. We’re all running on so much adrenaline, though, that we don’t even feel tired. The day started out with an interview with Brian Kilmeade on FOX & Friends at the Tampa Convention Center.
Tony’s 7-year-old daughter Jade joined us today. It was an exciting day for her because she got to hang out with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers cheerleaders and mascot. Then as we went to our interview with Shawn Brown from the 700 Club, she ran into Kevin James, the actor from “Mall Cop.” Shawn Brown interviewed Tony about Quiet Strength previously and this interview went very well. After the 700 Club interview, Jade got to take a picture with Miss America! It was quite a day for her.
Tony also had an interview with Channel 13 (NBC) in Indianapolis about All Pro Dad. He also attended the Commissioner’s Press Conference, where he was mentioned by the Commissioner. Following the press conference, Tony had an hour-long Q&A session with the media.
Later in the afternoon, we had several interviews with ESPN for Tirico & Van Pelt, NFL Live, HOTLIST, and Outside the Lines. Following these interviews, Tony was in an NBC pre-production meeting at the stadium for the Super Bowl.
In the evening, we attended the Super Bowl Gospel Celebration at the University of South Florida Sun Dome. Tony was honored for his 30+ years in the NFL by Tampa Bay Buccaneers Coach Raheem Morris, ESPN analyst Shaun King, and Chicago Bears Coach Lovie Smith, who presented him with the award.
After the celebration, we all finally headed home and back to our hotel around 11 PM.
