Former Indianapolis Colts head coach Tony Dungy hit back at critics Wednesday for blasting his support of a Florida bill supporting “fatherhood.”
Dungy responded to critics on his Twitter account on Wednesday with a quote from former President Barack Obama emphasizing the importance of fathers in the home.
“2 days ago I spoke on behalf of a Florida bill that supports dads & families and it offended some people. 14 yrs ago Pres Obama said the same things almost verbatim. I’m assuming people were outraged at him too. I am serving the Lord so I’ll keep supporting dads and families,” Dungy said.
Along with his message, Dungy posted a quote Obama said during a Father’s Day speech in 2008.
“We know the statistics — that children who grow up without a father are five times more likely to live in poverty and commit crime; nine times more likely to drop out of schools and 20 times more likely to end up in prison,” Obama said. “They are more likely to have behavioral problems, or run away from home or become teenage parents themselves. And the foundations of our community are weaker because of it.”
2 days ago I spoke on behalf of a Florida bill that supports dads & families and it offended some people. 14 yrs ago Pres Obama said the same things almost verbatim. I’m assuming people were outraged at him too. I am serving the Lord so I’ll keep supporting dads and families.🙏🏽🙏🏽 pic.twitter.com/7eIemEGe9T
— Tony Dungy (@TonyDungy) April 13, 2022
Dungy appeared at a Monday signing ceremony with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis at which DeSantis signed a bill allocating $70 million toward programs supporting and incentivizing fatherhood. As Yahoo News reported:
HB 7065, dubbed the “Responsible Fatherhood” bill, aims to encourage fathers to take an active role in their children’s lives and provides grants to community-based membership programming.
It will help fund resources for educational and mentorship programs to assist children, fathers, and families in Florida through the Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) and the Department of Children and Families (DCF).
The funding will enable DJJ to launch a mentorship program for at-risk youth, which will include programs including barbershop talks and fatherhood classes.
Critics slammed Dungy for appearing alongside DeSantis.
“Tony Dungy revealed his true self a few years ago when he said he wouldn’t want an openly gay player on his team. So of course he’s appearing alongside anti-LGBT extremist Ron DeSantis. When people tell you who they are, believe them the first time,” posted the Palmer Report, a leftists website.
“Tony Dungy, like Trump, is a bigoted a**hole,” said Ron Waxman.
“Is @TonyDungy aware of what Gov DeSantis has done to interfere with the ability of Black fathers to vote and thus have a voice in the policies that will govern the lives of their children in Florida? I would be happy to meet and discuss,” civil rights attorney Sherrilyn Ifill said.
Related: Tony Dungy Under Fire For Statements About Christianity And Faith. Here’s His Response.