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| Love
of game drives Munch to Canton
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| By
Mike Munchak |
August
04, 2001 |
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| Football
has been a huge part of my life. It has kind
of directed it since I've been eight years
old. It was my favorite sport right from the
beginning, and remained so right up through
the high school level and college level. |
I
never thought it would be this part of my
life, obviously.
I've been a big fan of the NFL from the time I
started watching TV -- since I was six or
seven years old. I always enjoyed the pro
game.
I played organized football on Saturdays, and
Sunday was the day to sit down and watch the
NFL with my dad, who was such a big fan. So I
always had the fever, the love of the game. I
never really thought I'd be one of those guys
someday.
Even when I went on to play in high school, I
guess I never really thought that far ahead to
(picture myself) playing in the NFL.
I just played for the moment. Football is
something I just really, really enjoyed. I
grew up in a neighborhood with so many kids
around that we'd play football in the snow,
out on the baseball fields -- tackle, touch,
whatever.
Not until after my junior year in high school
did I realize that I had a chance to get a
scholarship and continue playing football in
college.
Then I went to Penn State, and playing in the
pros was still not something I considered.
Especially after the first meeting with Joe
Paterno, where he tells you that "very
few of you guys, if any, will play pro ball
after these four years."
After a couple of years in the program, when I
saw the players who were being drafted, that
was probably the first time I realized I had a
chance to play in the NFL if I continued to
get better.
The fact that I never looked too far ahead
helped me. I had goals, but they were more
short term. Even when I got to college, it
was, "Let's enjoy what I'm doing, get as
good as I can get and come out with an
education." That's how I looked at it,
but as I did well at different levels, it
seemed like that opened doors for the next
level.
Even after I retired seven years ago, I'm
still in love with football. I've been in the
same organization basically for 20 years,
which is like coming out of college and
working for the same company for 20 years.
It's hard to believe it's been that long
between playing and coaching. Football, as I
look back on it now, has been a huge part of
my life.
Pro football has been something I've loved
watching since I was a small kid. I'm a fan.
Even when we're out of the playoffs, I enjoy
watching football. I just enjoy it. That's
what's kept me attracted as long as it has.
My love for the game was nurtured by my dad.
Football was the sport he enjoyed watching the
most. I remember my dad buying me my first
football uniform. It was a Packers uniform
because that was his favorite team. And when I
started watching football, I also started
playing it.
Growing up in Scranton, a lot of kids in the
neighborhood had similar interests. So I was
playing out back with my friends since I was
six or seven.
Football was such a big deal, and you didn't
need to play 11-on-11, either. You can play
three-on-three, four-on-four, and we'd pretend
to be different NFL players -- a great
quarterback or great running back.
Not many guys brag about being offensive
linemen. So it was something that I never saw
myself playing, but it was where the initial
interest came from. And when you have success
at something, it keeps you going.
The way it's turned out, going into the Hall
of Fame, has been unbelievable. It'll always
be part of my life and it's allowed me and my
family to do a lot of things. I've had the
opportunity to make a good living, to meet a
lot of great people. It just opened a lot of
doors.
My two girls, they weren't quite old enough to
remember all of my career. But now they're
really involved in football because of my
coaching and it's really kind of neat.
It's been great for a lot of us, not just me
but for a lot of people that have been along
for the ride with me. It's been a fun
experience.
MIKE MUNCHAK scored one touchdown in his pro
career, and now he can say he has written one
column, too. |
| İScranton
Times Tribune 2001 |
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