Munoz recalls Paul Brown’s influence on his HOF career

Ex-Bengal thankful to have interacted with NFL legend.

On April 29, 1980, CANTON — an oft-injured USC tackle named Anthony Munoz was hanging out with his senior teammates on the first day of the NFL draft, wondering if he would even get selected during one of that weekend’s 12-rounds.

“I just wanted to see if I could compete at that level,” Munoz said.

After tearing knee ligaments in the first game of his senior year, Munoz had returned in time to play in that year’s Rose Bowl — a 17-16 win over Ohio State — but wondered if NFL teams would be scared off by his three knee surgeries and relative lack of playing experience.

“The Bengals had the third pick (in the first round) — and, again, I didn’t know if I’d have to sign as a free agent or even get the chance to sign as a free agent — and about five or 10 minutes after the draft started, I got a call from the Cincinnati Bengals,” said Munoz, speaking at Monday’s Hall of Fame Luncheon Club meeting. “He said, ‘Anthony, you’re our guy. We just drafted you.’

“I hung up the phone and I think my wife understood me because I was bawling like a baby, but I said, ‘We’re going to Cincinnati.’ And DeDe goes, ‘Where’s Cincin- nati?’ I said, ‘I don’t know, but we’re going.’”

Munoz went on to have a Hall of Fame career, making 11 Pro Bowls over 13 seasons with the Bengals while earn- ing first team All-Pro nine times. He’s generally considered one of the greatest offensive linemen in NFL history.

The man who ignored his injury history and took him No. 3 overall? Paul Brown.

“Paul Brown gave me an opportunity, gave me a chance to get voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame,” Munoz said. “I never take that for granted. Every time I drive up here (from Cin- cinnati), I pinch myself. I’m like, ‘Can you believe I’m in the Hall of Fame?’”

By the time Munoz was drafted, Brown had been out of coaching for five years. But he still ran the Bengals until his death in August 1991.

“He was the general man- ager and the owner and he could verywell have been the coach because he was there every single day,” Munoz said. “Every single practice, every single meeting, every single road trip for the first 10 years of my career.

“I’m very thankful that I had a chance to be around Paul Brown. It was like being around a history teacher.”

Munoz grew up in South- ern California, so he wasn’t familiar with Brown’s impact on the game until arriving in Cincinnati. Once he studied him, “I was blown away.”

On game days, Cincinnati’s offensive linemen would head to the stadium early after the pregame meal and Brown would come intothe locker room nearly every week.

“As players, we knew that Paul Brown knew just about everything,” Munoz said. “He’d look at us and say, ‘So, who has this No. 78 for Buffalo?’ I was assigned Bruce Smith and I knew that Paul Brown knew exactlywhowas assigned to Bruce Smith. So I’d say, ‘Coach, I have him.’ And that would lead to a story, whether it was with the Browns or as the coach of the Bengals or Massillon or Ohio State. We always got a history lesson.

“He knew how to connect with his players and when he passed away, I missed that. I’m just thankful I had a chance to play for the man.”