When Tony Dungy was a young pro football player in his second year with the Pittsburgh Steelers, he came down with mononucleosis, which sidelined him and made him anxious about whether he would be able to stay on the team.

 Rookies, after all, were snapping at his heels, ready and willing to take his place at the word go. That is when his teammate and roommate, Donnie Shell, said words to him that were like an epiphany, Dungy told a crowd of several hundred at Christian Heritage School Saturday morning.

Dungy, the first African American football coach to win a Super Bowl -- with the Indianapolis Colts in 2007 --  was visiting Christian Heritage for a fundraising engagement. He told the story of how there is more to football, and more to life, than winning and being successful.

"Donnie said, 'The Lord is trying to get your attention. Is your football career more important to you than your relationship with Him?'" Dungy (pronounced dun-jee) told the crowd. "When push came to shove, I knew I had to put God first. That is when my mom's favorite Bible verse came through to me: What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world, but forfeits his soul?"

 Dungy went on to become one of the most unique coaches in the NFL; known for his soft-spoken ways and gentle critiques, rather than the rough-and-tumble style most coaches embody. He retired from football in 2008, and since then has been the national spokesman for the fatherhood program All Pro Dad, as well as being a prominent football analyst on NBC's Football Night In America show. He is also the bestselling author of "Quiet Strength" and "Uncommon." He and wife Lauren have seven children.

His words of Christian wisdom lit up faces in the gymnasium.

"I  have a youth group at Black Rock church of seven or eight boys here to listen what he has to say about Jesus," said audience member Pat Smith of Bridgeport, who is a youth soccer coach in the Park City.

It was a day to learn for 14-year-old Robert Tusch of Stamford, who is a freshman center and defensive tackle at Trinity Catholic High School in Stamford.

"I'm wondering how he does it, how he became a football coach," Tusch said. "He's calm and mellow. I think that's a better way to teach people."

Dungy told the crowd he learned a lot of his coaching philosophy from his own coaches, who tried to make him a better person, not just a better player.

 "If I can help my players play better, then I'm doing my job. Not only playing on the field, but being better people. So I made a decision: Do I coach the way the world teaches that coaches become successful, or do I coach the way in my heart I would want my son to be coached?," Dungy said.

 Dungy's visit was sponsored and arranged by the sportcaster Dan Patrick, who is active with Christian Heritage. It was hoped the event would raise anywhere from $15,000 to $20,000 for the school, said June Vangor, interim head of the school.

"He was generous to offer this as a fundraiser and a community builder for our school," Vangor said of Patrick.

Patrick jokingly told the crowd that in return for Dungy's visit, he will have to go to prison. He agreed to visit prisoners with Dungy to talk about hope in life in return for Dungy's visit.

"When I told my wife about this, I said, 'Yes, Tony Dungy has agreed to visit Christian Heritage but I'm going to prison,'" Patrick said with a laugh.

Since 1977 Christian Heritage School has been a private, K-12, college-preparatory day school in Trumbull with a non-denominational Christian curriculum. There are 470 students from 36 towns and more than 100 churches.