Tony Dungy didn't draft Incognito because of his 'reputation'
VIDEO - Former NFL head coach and current football analyst Tony Dungy said he passed on the opportunity to draft Richie Incognito back in 2005 because of his 'reputation'...
Former NFL head coach and current football analyst Tony Dungy said he passed on the opportunity to draft Richie Incognito back in 2005 because of his “reputation.”
“We just didn’t want to bring [Incognito] into our locker room,” Dungy told TODAY anchor Savannah Guthrie Friday morning. “That’s not to say he’s the guilty party in this. I don’t know everything that happened there, but I do know the reputation that Richie Incognito had and it wasn’t what we wanted in our locker room.”
Dungy was the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts in 2005 when Incognito was available. He was eventually selected in the third round by the St. Louis Rams.
This week, the Miami Dolphins suspended the offensive lineman indefinitely on the heels of an investigation of alleged abuse of teammate Jonathan Martin. Incognito told WSVN-TV in Fort Lauderdale that the “storm” surrounding his allegations “will pass.”
Dungy said the issues in the Dolphins locker room are not exclusively an NFL problem. But ultimately, it all boils down to respect.
“You have to have respect for your fellow players,” Dungy said. “It has to start in the management. It has to start with the coaches and the general manager creating an atmosphere and a safe environment. And then the players have to carry it on from there.”
“Everybody’s not the same in the locker room,” Dungy said. “You’re not going to get 53 people that all fit in the same way and I think good teams and strong organizations promote that type of environment where you don’t have to be like everyone else to flourish.”
Follow theGrio.com’s Todd Johnson on Twitter @rantoddj
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