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| Munchak
takes place in Pro Football Hall of Fame
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| BY
MARTY MYERS / STAFF WRITER
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August
04, 2001 |
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CANTON,
Ohio -- The walk through history begins with
the busts of George Halas, Lou Groza, Bob
Griese. Across the way, Vince Lombardi, Sammy
Baugh and Dick Butkus are immortalized.
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Busts
of the greatest men in professional
football stand guard against the walls
of this hushed cathedral. For each of
the 211 members of the Pro Football Hall
of Fame, a small shrine includes a bust,
a photo and their accomplishments,
outlining why each has been elected to
this hallowed ground of football
history.
The walk through the room is
interrupted, however, by an empty
platform. To the left is the bust of
Dallas Cowboys legendary defensive
tackle Bob Lilly. But to the right,
there is no bust. Instead, there is an
action photo of No. 63 of the Houston
Oilers, another football player who made
himself a legend in Texas.
No, the bust of Michael Anthony Munchak
Jr. will take its place later today.
Munchak's bust will be hoisted onto its
rightful spot, along with those of Nick
Buoniconti, Mary Levy, Jackie Slater,
Lynn Swann, Ron Yary and Jack
Youngblood.
They comprise the Magnificent Seven, to
be inducted in the Hall of Fame's Class
of 2001. Canton,C4 CANTON: Munchak
invites more than 400 guests A playing
career that started at Scranton Central
High School in 1974 will be forever
etched in the annals of football history
when the 41-year-old Munchak is inducted
at 11:30 this morning.
"I'm believing it's happening, but
it's like a dream come true," said
Paula Munchak, the mother of the Hall of
Fame inductee and his five sisters.
"It's every parents' dream. It's
your son that is being honored. When you
think how fortunate you are that it's
happening to your child, I just. .
."
Her words trail off because there are
none that could possibly describe her
pride.
"What makes me so proud is that
he's a nice person," Paula said.
"That's what it's all about. If you
are not a nice person, wonderful to your
wife and children, it means
nothing."
Wonderful to friends and family, too.
Today, Munchak will add one more
statistic to a career that includes 14
seasons and 10 Pro Bowl selections.
Joe Horrigan, Hall of Fame vice
president for communication, said
Munchak set a record by inviting more
than 400 people to this year's ceremony.
That eclipsed the mark of 336 held by
1997 inductee Don Shula.
Most of the invitees will attend the
ceremony, which will be broadcast on
ESPN2.
That comes as a bit of a surprise, even
to a Hall of Famer.
"They're going out of their way in
mid-summer to make this happen,"
said Mike Jr., offensive line coach of
the Tennessee Titans. "I'm shocked.
They're part of this and it's great that
they think, 'Let's finish it.' That's a
neat thing that they are still
interested in me now."
It's not that Munchak invited everyone
he knew. It's just that he hasn't
forgotten anyone along the way, nor his
hometown of Scranton.
"He's got a bunch of friends from
high school," Mike Sr. said.
"They still get together when he's
in town. They're all here for the
induction."
So are many of his former college and
professional teammates, as well as
busloads of friends from Scranton.
"They've shown how proud they are
for years," Paula said of the
people of Scranton. "Everyone has
been so supportive. It's like a
Cinderella story, only it's a
Cinderfella story."
It's notoriety that was never sought,
nor expected, by the family when they
started hauling him to midget football
games some 30 years ago.
"I guess as a father you hope for
that," Mike Sr. said of his son's
success. "After he was in high
school and getting a little recognition,
you think he may get a scholarship out
of this. That would be great. A good
education at one of the big schools,
that's what we were looking for. College
was great, that somebody wanted him.
That made us real proud.
"We never even thought about the
pros."
Which is why Friday's breakfast
ceremony, where this year's seven
inductees received a Hall of Fame
jacket, was an emotional moment.
"There were almost tears today when
they got their gold jackets for the Hall
of Fame," Mike Sr. said. "Now
we know. It's no fairy tale now." |
| İScranton
Times Tribune 2001 |
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