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Indianapolis (AP) - "The thoughts and prayers of everyone in this building are with Tony and (wife) Lauren, their children and their extended family, and for the repose of James' soul," Indianapolis Colts President Bill Polian said at a news conference at the team's training facility in Indianapolis. "This is a tragedy for the Dungy family and by extension his football family here with the Colts."
Owner Jim Irsay and Polian met with team officials and players to break the news.
"It was not easy, and it was somber, to say the least," Polian said.
Assistant Coach Jim Caldwell will take over "for however long Tony will be away and however long he will be away is entirely up to him," Polian added.
Chaplains were brought in to talk with the team.
"I don't think there's anyone here that would wish to play a football game under these circumstances, but it's our obligation and we'll fulfill that obligation because that's what Tony wants us to do," Polian said.
James Dungy spent his senior year at North Central High School in Indianapolis and graduated this year. C.E. Quandt, the school's principal, said Dungy was a personable student who never flaunted his father's position.
"He just came in and tried to blend in and be a student," Quandt said. "I liked James a lot."
Quandt said Dungy visited North Central a week or two ago to pick up a transcript. He said the death surprised and saddened everyone at the school.
"It kind of diminishes our school family," he said.
A woman who answered the door at James Dungy's girlfriend's home declined comment Thursday.
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.
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."
Philadelphia coach Andy Reid said the 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."
Fans posted prayers and messages of support for Dungy, who also coached the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, on a message board on a Colts fan Web site.
"Not only was he a great football coach for the Bucs, but he is an even better person," one Tampa Bay fan wrote. "It makes me sick that it happened at this time of year to a person that is so giving and caring."
Dungy took over as coach of the Colts in 2002. His first head coaching stint was with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1996-2001; he was an assistant with the Minnesota Vikings from 1992 to 1995.
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.
(Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
