Quiet Strength by Tony Dungy, Nathan Whitaker Page B

clinic. I think Hollis could read my mind. “I know it’s a lot to ask, but we’ve done this every year, and they’re really counting on us to have someone there. Ted’s sick, and I wouldn’t even ask, except . . .”
    I told Hollis I’d do it as a favor to him.
    The next morning I showed up at St. Stephen’s to meet with the senior pastor, Dr. John Guest. I made the appropriate apologies on behalf of Ted and the Steelers, and Dr. Guest asked if he could sit with me during the meal. “I’ve got a bio prepared on Ted, but I’m afraid I don’t know anything about you,” he said. “At least if we sit together while we eat, I could put together a reasonable introduction.”
    During breakfast, I shared with Dr. Guest what I planned to say to the group. Thanks to my mom’s training, I never have been afraid to speak in public, and at that point, I was always ready to talk about my faith. Because it was an event for father and sons and I didn’t have any children of my own, I talked about a subject I knew something about and that most boys are interested in: athletics. In these types of settings, I often used 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 as my starting point. In that passage, Paul talks about competing and running to win. I told the group that we always have to be sure the prize we’re after is worthwhile. I explained that while the Super Bowl is a great goal, if it’s all we’re after, we’ll be disappointed when we get there.
    When I finished speaking, Dr. Guest approached me again. “I’m not sure how to say this, but there’s a girl in my congregation here that you’ve really got to meet. I know this sounds strange since I’ve only been with you for an hour, but I think you two would be perfect for each other.”
    I did my best to gently blow him off. “Hmmm, that’s interesting. Maybe . . . sure, we could do that sometime. Okay. Thanks.”
    As I left, Dr. Guest could tell that I wasn’t taking him seriously. He called Hollis Haff later to get my phone number.
    “Tony, I know you think this is crazy, but I’m serious,” he said when he called. “You really ought to meet this girl.”
    I was thinking, This church has five thousand people, and there are no single guys she can get attached to? What must she look like?
    Dr. Guest called me three or four more times over the next couple of weeks, asking if he could simply introduce me to this girl. “That’s all I want to do. I’m just so certain that you will click and this will be perfect.”
    Meanwhile, I was not quite so certain. “Maybe you could just give me her number,” I suggested. I thought that would get him to quit calling me and make all this go away.
    “I’m sorry, Tony, but she’s not the type to take kindly to you calling her directly. I really need to do it this way—to introduce you.”
    All the while, Dr. Guest was apparently trying the same tactics with the girl he wanted me to meet, and he wasn’t getting any further with her. I later learned that she was even less interested than I was. She was thinking, Here’s a guy who played for the Steelers and now coaches with the Steelers, and he can’t get a date in Pittsburgh? What kind of a nerd must he be?
    She was closer to the truth than I was. I was quiet and shy, and I wasn’t particularly interested in dating. I was more interested in finding a woman I could marry, and I figured that day wouldn’t come for a while yet.
    After weeks of putting Dr. Guest off, I finally agreed to meet the girl. The Steelers were leaving to begin training camp on July 20, so I told him I would only be free the following day, Saturday, July 18. Dr. Guest then called the girl and pitched the idea that I would like to come by and meet her. She reluctantly agreed.
    When I got to her house and she opened the door, I was stunned. Lauren Harris was beautiful. She reminded me of the way my mom looked when I was a young boy. She had a pretty smile and a thin, athletic build. I couldn’t believe she