Legendary NFL coach Tony Dungy speaks out against legalizing abortion in Florida

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Super Bowl-winning former NFL coach Tony Dungy spoke at a news conference with Florida Gov. Ron Desantis on Tuesday, and encouraged Floridians to vote against an amendment that would legalize abortion in the state. 

Dungy spoke at Clearwater Central Catholic High School and shared the story of his own family and how his interactions with his eight adopted children have influenced his stance on the issue. He also cited his religion for the stance. 

"I happen to believe that these babies in the womb are lives, and I know everybody doesn’t believe that, but I happen to believe it. My Bible tells me that they are," Dungy said. "My wife Lauren and I have eight adopted children in our home right now, and when I go home every day and I look at those kids, I don't see eight choices. I'm sorry, those are eight lives, and yes we need to protect our women, and yes, we need to protect our mothers, but we need to protect those children as well."

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers former cornerback Ronde Barber poses with his bust along with Warren Sapp , Tony Dungy , Derrick Brooks and John Lynch during the 2023 Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.  (Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports)

Dungy also said he disagrees with the notion that a lack of abortion access would put Florida women in danger. 

"I am so upset when people say, ‘Oh we need to get this passed because women in Florida are in danger.’ No, they're not in danger when they're pregnant." Dungy said. "We have some of the best health care in the world here, and it's available, and it's not going to be withheld if this amendment doesn't pass."

Dungy previously spoke out against Vice President Harris for her stance on abortion in a post on X on Sept. 19. Dungy was responding to a quote from Harris when she insisted that "one does not have to abandon their faith," if they believe in legalizing abortion. 

"Dear VP Harris: I hear you make this statement all the time. Exactly what ‘faith’ are you talking about when you say you don’t have to abandon it to support abortion? Are you talking about the Christian faith that says all babies are made in the image of God (Gen 1:26), that God places them in the womb (Jer 1:5) and that we should not take any life unjustly (Luke 18:20)?" Dungy wrote.

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Tony Dungy of NBC Sports during an NFL game between the Los Angeles Rams and the Buffalo Bills on September 08, 2022, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA. ( Icon Sportswire)

"Are you talking about that faith or some nebulous, general ‘faith’ that says we’re good enough, and smart enough to make our own decisions? What ‘faith’ are you talking about?" 

Dungy also previously reposted former NFL tight end Benjamin Watson’s quote tweet over a Sept. 17 Harris tweet, which said, "A young mother from Georgia should be alive today, raising her son and pursuing her dream of attending nursing school. This is exactly what we feared when Roe vs. Wade was struck down. In more than 20 states, Trump Abortion Bans prevent doctors from providing basic medical care."

"Amber Thurman’s tragic death was caused by complications from legal abortion drugs and gross medical malpractice," Watson responded. "She should have been treated immediately by physicians who instead waited too long to act. Georgia’s pro-life law is not the issue. It does not criminalize doing a D&C, especially when there is no detectable fetal heart rate. 

"Amber should be alive, and [Harris] should focus her attention on these facts so we can prevent the next tragedy rather than promoting politically motivated falsehoods."

On Dungy’s tweet, one commenter wrote, "I love what you stand for coach. But how do you support someone like Trump? I have never seen post from you criticizing him."

"I guess you didn’t see my post last week when I said Donald Trump could not have read Florida Amendment 4 very carefully when he said he was going to vote ‘Yes’ on it," Dungy replied.

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NBC Sports analyst Tony Dungy speaks during a segment prior to the 2022 Pro Football Hall of Fame Game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Las Vegas Raiders at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium on Aug. 4, 2022 in Canton, Ohio. (Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images)

Dungy is the first Black head coach to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in the modern era and second all-time.

Dungy began his head coaching career in Tampa Bay with the Buccaneers, going 54-42 with the franchise before moving to Indy, where he quickly became a legend with Peyton Manning as his quarterback. 

Dungy went 85-27 in his 112 games leading the Colts. 

In 2011, Dungy and wife Lauren released a new book entitled "You Can Be a Friend." The story aimed to teach children what it means to be a good friend. The book debuted at number seven and stayed in the top 10 for one week on the children's picture books section of The New York Times bestseller list.

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