U Of MN Grad Tony Dungy To Speak At 'March For Life' In D.C.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Tony Dungy, who played quarterback for the Minnesota Gophers in the 70s before going on to play and coach in the NFL, will speak at the 2023 "March for Life" on Friday.

The demonstration against abortion takes place annually in the nation's capital.

Dungy was the defensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings from 1992 to 1995. He was later hired as the head coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and then the Indianapolis Colts.

Dungy was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2016. He and his wife Lauren have 11 children, including eight they adopted.

"Lauren and I will be in Washington DC attending the 2023 March For Life," Dungy tweeted Thursday.

"It will be my first time at the March and I’m looking forward to joining my friend @BenjaminSWatson and thousands of others who will be there to support those unborn babies who don’t have a voice."

The march on the National Mall has taken place every year since January 1974, following the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Roe v. Wade. The landmark decision found that the Constitution protected a woman's right to abortion.

But Friday's national anti-abortion march will be the first one since the Supreme Court reversed itself in June and overturned Roe v. Wade.

"We are overjoyed to welcome these inspiring pro-life leaders at this year’s 50th March for Life, the first in our post-Roe nation," said Jeanne Mancini, president of March for Life, in a news release.

"With Roe now behind us, we are empowered to save countless innocent American lives by continuing to advocate for commonsense protections at the state and federal level, educating Americans on the intrinsic dignity of all human life."

The march will begin at 12 p.m. eastern.