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| Scranton
hero enters the Hall of Fame today after a
lifetime of football made him a legend
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| BY
DONNIE COLLINS / STAFF WRITER |
August
04, 2001 |
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CANTON, Ohio -- Ask Mike Munchak if he was born to be a legend, and he'll tell you no.
He'll tell you he's not a legend at all -- just a hardworking native of Scranton's rugged Hill Section who grew up in a time when "hardworking" was an expectation, not a rare character trait.
Ask those who know Mike Munchak if he was born to be a legend, and they'll answer affirmatively.
They'll tell you he is as close to a legend as you'll find in Scranton, in Houston or at the Professional Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, where he will be inducted as a member today.
They are inspired by him.
What makes a legend? It's not simply being famous.
It's his
influence, they say, on them and others that
puts Mr. Munchak in that category. It's the
fact that stories of his determination and his
desire will be told as long as Sundays are
revered by people who love football and
respect the men who play it.
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Mike Munchak Sr.
has a story.
It was 1969.
His son had caught the urge to play football.
He had been watching games intently on
television for the past year.
Tipping the scales at more than 100 pounds,
young Mike towered over his 9-year-old pals.
So his father formed a 12-year-olds league,
and Mike wound up in an East Scranton Apollos
uniform.
Mike quickly became the star of the Anthracite
Junior Football League.
"He just had natural talent," the
proud father recalls. "There he was, 9
years old, and he was tackling these kids who
were 11 and 12. I mean, really putting them
down.
"That's when I knew there was something
there. And you start thinking ahead -- maybe
get to high school, get a scholarship, get a
good education. Everything."
Today, he will visit the Hall of Fame -- and
see an exhibit honoring his son.
Emil DeCantis has a story.
It was 1976 -- one year before Mr. Munchak
would lead Scranton Central High School to an
Eastern Conference championship.
But when he thinks of his prized pupil, Mr.
DeCantis, the longtime Central coach,
remembers an exhibition game.
The Golden Eagles were scrimmaging Kingston
Catholic.
Mr. DeCantis, who said he was never quite sure
which position was best suited to Mr.
Munchak's versatile talents, started the
6-foot-2 junior at defensive end.
"He was just blowing by people and
whacking quarterbacks," Mr. DeCantis
said. "Finally, (the opposing coach)
yells over to me, 'Get that guy out of the
game! I have a season to play, and he's
killing my quarterbacks!'
"At that level, he punished kids."
Dick Anderson has a story.
It was 1981.
Penn State is hosting Notre Dame at Beaver
Stadium.
The Nittany Lions won the game, 24-21. But
that's not the story.
Penn State coach Joe Paterno and Mr. Anderson,
then the offensive coordinator, scripted the
first play of the game during practice the
week before.
Quarterback Todd Blackledge was to pitch the
ball left to running back Jonathan Williams.
Munchak was assigned to get in front of
Williams and block downfield.
"We pitched, and Mike pulled," Mr.
Anderson said with a chuckle. "The strong
safety got in his way, and Mike knocked him
down. He kept on running. He looked for the
next guy, found him, and then ran him over.
"Jonathan ran for 70 yards on that play.
And Mike opened up the play of the game on the
first play. He was just so smooth."
Bruce Matthews has a story.
It was 1991.
Mr. Munchak, his body battered by years of
combat along the line of scrimmage, has just
missed three games to have knee surgery, but
he was intent on playing against in-state
rival Dallas at the Astrodome on Oct. 20.
"Before he went into the game, he told
(center) Erik Norgard, 'Keep an eye on me. I
don't know how long I can go,'" Mr.
Matthews said. "We had something like 88
offensive snaps and won the game in overtime.
"Munch played the whole damn game."
Mr. Matthews, who teamed with Mr. Munchak for
11 seasons to form one of the most fearsome
guard tandems in the NFL, will present his
friend at the Pro Football Hall of Fame today.
"Everyone was dying," Mr. Matthews
said of that game. "Just the fact that he
was out there, three weeks removed from knee
surgery, shows you the kind of guy he
is."
His pain was their gain.
Mike Munchak has a story.
After 12 years in the NFL, Mike Munchak's
knees were almost completely deteriorated --
from playing and from surgery. And he had a
feeling, he says, that his long career might
end without a Super Bowl ring.
But complain? Never.
"It wasn't like I was the martyr out
there," he said. "I had to go out
there. If I felt I could be out there, I had
to be."
So, Mr. Munchak hit the gym, lifting weights,
running and doing cardiovascular exercises.
Once, his surgically repaired left knee gave
out on him, collapsing under the strain. He
rested and gave it another shot.
It gave out again.
"I was trying to play another year, as
stupid as that sounds," Mr. Munchak said.
"I just enjoyed it too much.
"I gave it an effort. Heck, I gave it
every shot I could."
Like any legend might.
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| İScranton
Times Tribune 2001 |
 Reader
Opinions |
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Name: Todd
Lynady |
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I
was born and raised in
Scranton and have
lived in Houston for
the past 2 1/2 years.
When people ask me
where I am from and I
tell them Scranton,
they immediately start
talking about Munchak
and what a great
player and person he
is. The people of this
town embrace him as
one of their own even
though he wasn't born
and raised here. This
is a testiment to Mike
to have a city like
Houston embrace a
"yankee" in
that way. It is people
like Mike Munchak that
makes me proud that I
am a native of
Scranton, PA
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Munch
is truly a great
example of a
hard-working Scranton
culture who believe in
their children and
teach them to
"keep it
real" . ( I was
the recipient of many
a bone-jarrings from
Munch from the Apollos
through High School,
but I'm proud of them
now and glad to have
survived them). I want
to thank those Apollos
coaches; guys like Mr.
Don Chapman, Mr.
Doughneshay, Mr.
Munch, the late Mr.
Volpe and all the
other good folks up
there in my hometown.
Your positive
attitudes, faith and
hard work shaped my
and many other's
lives. And
congratulatons Munch,
I couldn't make it to
Canton I'll be cheking
you out on ESPN!
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