Anthony Muñoz
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Anthony Muñoz | |
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| Position(s): Offensive Tackle |
Jersey #(s): 78 |
| Born: August 19, 1958 Ontario, California |
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| Career Information | |
| Year(s): 1980–1993 | |
| NFL Draft: 1980 / Round: 1 / Pick: 3 | |
| College: USC | |
| Professional Teams | |
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| Career Stats | |
| Games played | 185 |
| Games started | 183 |
| Fumble recoveries | 6 |
| Stats at NFL.com | |
| Career Highlights and Awards | |
| Pro Football Hall of Fame | |
Michael Anthony Muñoz (born August 19, 1958) is a Hall of Fame offensive tackle for the National Football League's Cincinnati Bengals, with whom he spent his entire career.
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[edit] Early life
Anthony Muñoz, a Mexican-American, played basketball, baseball, and American football at Chaffey High School in Ontario, California. As a youth, he was barred from the Pop Warner league because he was too big; he concentrated on baseball instead.
[edit] College career
Anthony Muñoz earned a scholarship to the University of Southern California, where he earned a degree at what is now the Marshall School of Business. He was a two time All-American and was a teammate of running back Charles White, who won the Heisman Trophy in 1979.
[edit] Professional career
Anthony Muñoz was selected third overall in the first round of the 1980 NFL draft. His selection was viewed as a major risk by many pundits since knee problems limited the 6'-6", 280-pound Muñoz to a combined eight games in his junior and senior years. However, Muñoz became a starter in his rookie season and remained a fixture at left tackle for 13 seasons and is considered one of the greatest offensive linemen in NFL history.
In addition to his talents as a blocker, Anthony Muñoz was also a talented receiver, notching 7 receptions for 18 yards and scoring 4 touchdowns on tackle-eligible plays, including one in 1985 from left-handed rookie quarterback Boomer Esiason against their upstate rival, the Cleveland Browns in Cleveland.
Muñoz played in two Super Bowls (Super Bowl XVI and Super Bowl XXIII), both of which were losses against the San Francisco 49ers.
Anthony Muñoz was a perennial Pro Bowl selection, a three-time Offensive Lineman of the Year (1981, 1987, and 1988), named All-Pro 11 times, and was named to the pro bowl 11 consecutive times (1981-1991). At the time of his retirement, his 11 pro bowl selections were the most ever earned by an offensive lineman in NFL history. In 1994, Muñoz was named to the National Football League's 75th anniversary all-time team. In 1999, he was ranked number 17 on Sporting News' list of the 100 greatest football players and the highest-ranked offensive lineman. [1]
Muñoz appeared in two motion pictures. He was first in the 1980 film "Borderline," with Charles Bronson. Muñoz also had a brief role as clinic assistant Gonzalez in the 1983 Academy Award-winning film "The Right Stuff." His scenes were all with actor Scott Glenn, who portrayed astronaut Alan Sheppard. [2]
From 1994 to 1995, Muñoz served as a color commentator on Fox Sports' NFL telecasts.
In 1998, Anthony Muñoz was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was the first Cincinnati Bengals player to be enshrined after playing his entire career for the Bengals. Shortly after receiving the honor, Muñoz's hometown of Ontario renamed its Colony Park "Anthony Muñoz Hall of Fame Park". The renaming ceremony was held on June 26, 1998, and was attended by Muñoz, his family, city officials, and Ontario residents.[3] The park, incidentally, is the place where Muñoz met his wife DeDe after a pickup softball game during his youth.
In 2004, Muñoz served on a panel to select the year's recipient of the Walter Payton Award.
[edit] External links
- The Anthony Muñoz Foundation
- Anthony Muñoz at the Pro Football Hall of Fame
- Pro-Football-Reference.com - career statistics.
- Anthony Muñoz Profile at USC Legends
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