LUTZ, Fla. -- In her apartment next door to where James Dungy lived, Sharltonya Weathers recalled her horror when she arrived home early Thursday morning after being at a club.
"When I saw the police and a neighbor told me he died, I fell to my knees," Weathers, 22, said Thursday night. "I asked God, 'Don't blame him.' Don't blame him because he was calling out."
From interviews with people in Tampa, conflicting views of James Dungy emerged. Some saw an extremely nice man who would pray in public. Others saw someone deeply troubled beneath the surface.
"When I first met him, he was a pretty cool guy, but after a while, he would always talk negative," said Shanda Walker, 26, Weathers' roommate. "After Thanksgiving break, we were talking about our families, and he said, (expletive) Thanksgiving. He never had anything good to say about his life."
Across the street from the gated apartment complex where Dungy lived, Sean Soufan, 38, saw a different side of Dungy. Soufan works as a cashier at a gas station and convenience store and said Dungy was a frequent customer. Late Wednesday afternoon, Soufan said, Dungy bought water and snacks."He was so quiet, very nice," Soufan said. "He said he was going to go home for the holidays. He said goodbye and I'll see you in a couple of weeks. It was always him or him and his girlfriend."
After asking for an update about the circumstances of Dungy's death and being told authorities think it was a suicide, Soufan's voice turned sadder."Why is that?" he said. "He was here yesterday. He was normal."
Troubling Web site
A profile on a popular free Internet community under the name James Dungy, with a photo of the Indianapolis Colts coach's eldest son and apparent first-person narrative from him, told a different story.
The site contained pictures of handguns, marijuana, stacks of cash, gang signs and sexual positions. Heroes listed included "the D.C. Snipers." It could not be verified that the site was created by Dungy, and it was taken offline Thursday afternoon.
Many friends were shocked at the site, in which Dungy appeared wearing a bandana over his nose and mouth beside text condemning the police.Jamie Marie Gonzalez, a high school senior in Tampa who said she had dated Dungy, said it was a front, the Tampa Tribune reported."I think he was trying to portray himself as being tough, but he was nothing like that," she wrote in an online exchange with a reporter. "Well, at least when we went out he wasn't . . . he was extremely sweet!"Valerie Gonzalez, Jamie Marie's mother, echoed her daughter's thoughts.
"The boy went to church on Wednesdays, twice on Sundays, very polite," she told the Tribune. "He was a very nice young man."
"He was a great kid" Zenon Andrusyshyn, the West Coast Florida area director for Fellowship of Christian Athletes, recalled James Dungy as an extremely friendly kid.Dungy attended Fellowship of Christian Athletes meetings and camps many times while growing up.
Andrusyshyn said he had bumped into Dungy about a year ago when the teen was bagging groceries at an area grocery store, the Tribune reported. Dungy asked Andrusyshyn to pray with him for his grandfather's health. The two bowed their heads and prayed. It left an impression on Andrusyshyn.
"I thought that was remarkable for a young kid to ask if we could pray right there in the store," he said. "You realize this man was a sensitive man. He loved his family and his relatives. I just don't know what could have happened."Weathers said Dungy had recently taken a job at a local mall.Dungy attended Tampa's Gaither High School his junior year and played football. He returned two weeks ago to visit Gaither head coach Mark Kantor.
Kantor said he and Dungy talked about his dad and how the younger Dungy was glad to be back in Tampa, the Tribune reported. Kantor said Dungy seemed happy and never let on there were troubles.
"He met me in my office, and he didn't give me a handshake -- he gave me a hug. He was a great kid," Kantor said. "It's not only a sad day for this area, but a sad day in sports. The only thing I can do now is pray for his family."
In Tampa, where Tony Dungy coached the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for six years, there was an outpouring of support for Dungy's family.
A Christian radio station took calls during evening rush hour, praying and doing interviews about Dungy's death.
"A lot of the guys who are close to Tony understand he has faith, and that's the only thing that allows you to get through difficult times," said Doug Gilcrease, team chaplain for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
