Cincinnati Bengals 2009 Media Guide.indb - Bengals Home

Anthony Muñoz puts Bengals stamp
on Pro Football Hall of Fame
Anthony Muñoz, who defined the art of playing
offensive tackle in the National Football League, is the
only player who performed primarily for the Bengals to
gain entry to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Muñoz was
inducted, along with four other players, on Aug. 1, 1998,
at the Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.
Muñoz chose his son, Michael, as his presenter for
the Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Muñoz and his wife,
DeDe, also have a daughter, Michelle.
1998 was the fi rst year of Hall
eligibility for Muñoz, whose fi nal
NFL season was 1992 with the
Bengals. Including the 2008 class,
only 26 percent of Hall inductees
have had the honor of fi rst-ballot
election (66 of 253).
“Anthony’s induction was very
gratifying to our organization
and to all of our fans,” said Mike
Brown, Bengals president. “It
was particularly so because the
selectors recognized Anthony as a
truly special player and person who
deserved election on his fi rst try.
During his playing days, no one in
the NFL was better. It’s justifiable to
consider him as the best offensive
lineman ever, and he has conducted
his personal and family life in a way
that is a great credit to the Bengals
and the NFL.”
Muñoz’ off-field efforts earned him the NFL’s prestigious
Man of the Year Award in 1991.
Muñoz was a consensus All-American at the University
of Southern California, and the Bengals claimed him with
the third overall pick in the 1980 draft, despite the fact
some teams considered him damaged goods due to past
knee surgery. The move turned out as the best draft gamble
in franchise history, as Muñoz went on to play 13 Bengals
seasons (1980-92), including 11 seasons (1981-91) in
WHAT THEY’VE SAID ABOUT ANTHONY MUÑOZ
• Ritter Collett, Dayton Daily News columnist: “Anthony Muñoz is one of those rare
athletes you wish could go on playing forever. Not just because he may be as fine a
tackle as ever played in the NFL. Tackles come and go. Quality human beings who put
more back into society than they take out are something else.”
• Former Bengals head coach Forrest Gregg, recalling a pre-draft workout in 1980: “I
was pass-rushing him. I put a couple of moves on him and thought I had him set up. But
he just jammed me with that big right paw, and I landed right on my rear. I didn’t need any
more. Right then, I knew we would take him in the draft if he was available. He apologized
for knocking me down, but I said, ‘Son, don’t worry. It was a great move.’ ”
• Jim McNally, Bengals offensive line coach, 1980-94: “The key word is ‘athlete.’
In the offensive line, you see a lot of guys who are big and strong and fine players,
but they’re not great athletes. Anthony is a great athlete.”
• Joe Walter, Bengals OT, 1985-97: “Anthony played great every Sunday for 13 years.
Every Monday, I was in the fi lm room, watching him. It was awesome.”
— 209 —
which he was chosen for the
AFC-NFC Pro Bowl game. At the
time of his retirement (1992), that
was the most selections of any player in NFL history. He
earned All-Pro honors every season from 1981-91.
Muñoz played for the Bengals in each of their Super
Bowl appearances, as a second-year player in Super Bowl
XVI and as a ninth-year veteran in Super Bowl XXIII.
In 1994, he was one of three offensive tackles named to
the NFL’s official 75th Anniversary
Team. He joined his fellow tackles
from that 75th Anniversary Team
— Forrest Gregg and Roosevelt
Peter Brouillet/NFL Photos
Brown — in the Hall of Fame.
Muñoz’ exceptional agility and
athleticism is reflected by his entry
line in the Bengals’ all-time pass
receiving statistics. He caught
seven passes, playing as a tackleeligible,
and four of those catches
were for touchdowns.
In six of his 13 Bengals
seasons, Muñoz earned at least
one major award as NFL Offensive
Lineman of the Year. One award
citation, issued by NFL Alumni,
reads: “The NFL has three levels
of offensive linemen. The bottom
rung is for players aspiring to make
the Pro Bowl. The next step is for
those who have earned all-star
status. Then there’s Anthony Muñoz. He’s alone at the
top, a sure Hall of Famer.”
Though there are Hall of Fame members with some
Hispanic ancestry, Muñoz is generally considered the first
player of primarily Hispanic background to gain entry to
the Hall. Muñoz was born in Ontario, Calif. His parents
also are native Californians, and his grandparents were
born in Chihuahua, Mexico.
One other Hall of Fame player, wide receiver Charlie
Joiner, has a Bengals
connection. But Joiner
played the majority of his
NFL career with the San
Diego Chargers. Paul
Brown, founder of the
Bengals and the Cleveland
Browns, also is in the Hall
of Fame, but was inducted
before the Bengals’ first
season.
The other 1998 Hall
of Fame inductees were
defensive back Paul Krause,
wide receiver Tommy
McDonald, center Dwight
Stephenson and linebacker
Mike Singletary.
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