Son Of NFL Coach Found Dead

Teen Son Of Colts Coach Died Of Apparent Suicide; Found In Tampa

(AP) 
A woman who answered the door at James Dungy's girlfriend's home declined comment Thursday.

Jessica James, 18, who described herself as a close friend of James Dungy, said she and a group of friends went to the movies with him Monday night.

"He was cracking jokes, just being himself," she said. "This morning, it was so surreal."

She said Dungy "was just a really good kid, very laid-back. Unless you asked him, you'd never know he was Tony Dungy's son."

James stood 6-foot-7 and was sometimes was mistaken for one of his father's players, The Indianapolis Star reported on its Web site. James and his younger brother, Eric, sometimes watched Colts games from the sidelines, but they had to earn it by doing well in school.

The mood was also somber at the Buccaneers' practice facility Thursday, which is next to the airport where the Colts' plane that brought Tony Dungy to Florida was parked for a time. Players and coaches could see the plane from the practice field.

"It shakes you, there's no doubt about it. Tony and I first came together in 1992 and I got to see the boy grow up. ... Tony's got tremendous faith, and that's what will carry Tony through," said Bucs defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin, who worked for Dungy at Tampa Bay. "He's unbelievable. I know what Tony's thinking. I know how he'll handle it. It'll be his faith that will let him stand strong, but that doesn't mean it's easy."

James Dungy was a frequent visitor to the Bucs' practices and games when his dad coached the team.

"He was here all the time, hanging out in the locker room and with the players on the field," fullback Mike Alstott said. "If James wasn't here, it was like: `Where's James?' He was part of this football team.

"There's no words to describe it. I'm a father of three and I can't imagine getting a phone call or being told that."

New York Jets coach Herman Edwards, one of Dungy's closest friends, called James a "very, very good kid.

"The whole family is good people. You know Tony, how he raised a family," Edwards said from Jets training camp in Hempstead, N.Y. "A tragedy. I know the prayers of the National Football League go out to him and his family."

Arizona coach Dennis Green, who was Minnesota's head coach when Dungy was the team's defensive coordinator, said he was "devastated" to hear the news.

"It seems like just yesterday when we were all together in Minnesota," Green said in a statement. "I remember James, who was about 6 or 7 at the time, just loved being around the facility and the team and most of all being around his dad."

Philadelphia coach Andy Reid said his team's thoughts and prayers were going out to Dungy.

"You hate to see anything like this happen," Reid said. "Nobody likes to see that. Tony's a great person with a great family."

Dungy took over as coach of the Colts in 2002. His first head coaching stint was with Tampa Bay from 1996-2001; he was an assistant with the Minnesota Vikings from 1992-95.

Two other NFL head coaches lost close family members this season, both in November. Don Parcells, brother of Dallas Cowboys coach Bill Parcells, died of brain cancer in New Jersey at age 62; Steve Belichick, father of New England Patriots' coach Bill Belichick, died at 86.