Milwaukee, WI -  Tony Dungy was honored as the second recipient of the Divine Servant Award in the Time of Grace Center on the campus of Wisconsin Lutheran College (WLC) in Milwaukee on Friday night. Dungy was the featured speaker at the Divine Servant Award Celebration. He told the audience of more than 500 guests, “To be honored with the Divine Servant Award is spectacular. It is so very humbling and gratifying to be honored for your service.”

In addition to his notable accomplishments as the head coach of the 2007 Super Bowl Champion Indianapolis Colts and a football analyst for NBC Sports, Dungy is highly respected as a dedicated husband and father, best-selling author, and community leader, mentor, and advocate.

In a question and answer session on stage with WLC's President, Dr. Daniel W. Johnson, Dungy reflected on his playing days, his years as a head coach, and the importance of his faith. He spoke about the importance of making an impact in your community and shared examples of how some of his former players did just that. “Winning Super Bowl trophies and earning Hall of Fame recognition feels good, but it doesn't give me the same satisfaction as what we can do in our community,” said Dungy. “I am proud of those whose lives I've had touched and the way they have learned to pass it on.” 

Prior to the Divine Servant Award Celebration, Dungy toured the campus and spent some time talking with the WLC student body. With them, he shared the value of being an inspirational leader through stories about how the role models in his life positively affected him and how they can be a difference-maker in someone's life.

Wisconsin Lutheran College established the Divine Servant Award in 2017 as an opportunity to honor an individual who exemplifies qualities of Christian servant leadership and has exhibited Christian values throughout his or her life of service. This event also serves as an awareness and fundraising event for Wisconsin Lutheran College. The inaugural award was presented to the 43rd President of the United States, the Honorable George W. Bush, at a celebration in April 2017.

“We had the privilege of welcoming Tony Dungy to Wisconsin Lutheran College and honoring him with our Divine Servant Award. Tony has inspired many by exemplifying true servant leadership,” said Dr. Johnson. “As a player, coach, mentor, author, and father, Tony has lived his life unapologetically, staying true to his values and faith, even when it wasn't the popular thing to do. Tonight's celebration was a memorable and impactful way to recognize Tony and reinforce the college's mission of developing young women and men into Christian servant leaders.”