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Tony Dungy: NFL Must Punish Colts Owner Jim Irsay

DALLAS (105.3 THE FAN) --  Former NFL head coach Tony Dungy says the NFL must punish his friend and current Colts owner Jim Irsay following his weekend arrest for drunk driving.

Irsay was arrested Sunday night and has been charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated and four counts of possession of a controlled substance.

On 105.3 The Fan's New School with Shan & RJ, Dungy made it clear that Commissioner Roger Goodell has no choice but to take action.

"I think they have to. Everybody is going to look at this and say, when this situation arises with a player, that action is taken. It happened with front office people in Denver, I believe last year, and action was taken. If the commissioner doesn't step in with something, I don't think it will be good. I think something has to be done, and again, hopefully everyone benefits from it."

Tony Dungy on Irsay

Dungy was the Colts' head coach for seven seasons under Irsay, including the team's Super Bowl XLI victory in 2007.

Hearing the news about his friend and former boss wasn't easy, but he hopes Sunday's events will serve as a wake-up call for everyone involved.

"I was heartbroken. I've known Jim Irsay for 13 years now. He's a special guy to me -- a person who is very self-sacrificing and would do anything for you. He did some unbelievable things for me, for my family, for the city of Indianapolis, and I just want him to do well. He's struggling with some prescription painkillers and other medications -- he made a big mistake. I was sad to see that but I'm hoping that this will be the silver lining in the cloud -- he will reach out and get some help and grow from this."

MORE: Dungy Discusses The Cowboys Tampa 2

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