An exhilarated Anthony Munoz is introduced at Saturday's press conference by John Bankert, executive director of Pro Football Hall of Fame.
(AP photo)
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Elected in his first year of eligibility. All-Pro 11 straight years (1981-91). Pro Bowl selection 11 consecutive years (1982-92). NFL Offensive Lineman of the Year 1981, 1985, 1988, 1989. Started 177 of 178 games (1980-91). Selected to the NFL's 75th Anniversary All-Time Team in 1994.
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SAN DIEGO - As Pro Football Hall of Fame officials prepared to name their 1998 inductees Saturday at the San Diego Convention Center, Anthony Munoz waited in an adjacent room.
''I agreed to hang out as long as they gave me a back-door route out if it didn't happen,'' the former left tackle said.
But it happened.
Munoz, 39, became the first long-time Bengals player to reach the Hall, receiving at least 80 percent of the vote in a secret ballot among 36 selectors. Former Bengals quarterback Ken Anderson, one of 15 finalists, failed to win for the second time.
''When I was (at the University of Southern California), I realized that I had a gift as a football player,'' said Munoz. ''I want to thank the Lord for those gifts.''
Munoz, who will be formally inducted into the Canton shrine on Aug. 1, won selection in his first year of eligibility. He is believed to be the first fully Hispanic player to be elected.
Safety Paul Krause, wide receiver Tommy McDonald, linebacker Mike Singletary and center Dwight Stephenson also were elected.
Munoz's eyes filled with tears Saturday as he thanked the late Paul Brown for giving him the chance to play in the NFL.
''This is really overwhelming.''
More tears came periodically as he sat on a dais and listened to McDonald and other inductees speaking via conference call.
''I listened to his excitement and all of a sudden it would come back to me that I was in the same position he is,'' Munoz said. ''It would hit me like a club and bring out that emotion again.''
Upon hearing Singletary say that playing football was a privilege, Munoz gave an understanding nod.
''I spent the last couple of days with the likes of Ray Nitschke and Gale Sayers,'' said Munoz, who annually fulfills obligations for NFL Properties during Super Bowl week. ''Those guys are in the Hall, and just to be mentioned with individuals like that . . . I'm very thankful for this.''
Circle that date
Because ABC usually televises the preseason game that coincides with the Hall of Fame induction ceremony, it's likely that Anthony Munoz will be reunited on his big day with Boomer Esiason, who will be launching his career in the announcer's booth.
''That'll be exciting,'' Munoz said. ''I played nine years with Boomer, went to a Super Bowl with Boomer, played in a Pro Bowl with Boomer. That's going to be fun to have him there. We still have an excellent friendship.''
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Numerous others surely felt like thanking Munoz.
He pleased Bengals fans by becoming the team's first full-time player to reach the Hall of Fame. Former wide receiver Charlie Joyner performed with Cincinnati for four seasons during his 18-year Hall of Fame career.
After his 13-year Bengals career (1980-92), Munoz signed for the 1993 season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but he injured his knee in a preseason game and never played again.
''What a thrill for me to be (enshrined) with Paul Brown and have the opportunity to play my whole career with the Bengals,'' said Munoz, who reveled in his affiliation by reeling off the names of 14 former teammates, from Dave Lapham to Boomer Esiason.
Munoz also became a source of ethnic pride.
''To let the Hispanic population look at that and (show) they can strive to be excellent . . . It doesn't have to be athletics,'' said Munoz, a native of Ontario, Calif.
Munoz was widely regarded as a lock to reach the Hall. His 11 consecutive Pro Bowl selections in 13 Bengals seasons (1980-92) and his place on the NFL's 75th Anniversary All-Time Team gave him exclusive status among offensive linemen.
But only 46 of the Hall's previous 189 members gained election in their first year of eligibility.
Bengals coach Bruce Coslet, in town for today's Super Bowl, stopped by the Convention Center to congratulate Munoz. ''This is a big deal,'' Coslet said. ''It doesn't get any bigger than this.''
Bengals President and General Manager Mike Brown, visiting his vacation home in nearby La Jolla, wasn't present but issued a statement: ''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.''
Munoz hasn't decided who will present him at the Aug. 1 induction ceremony in Canton, but said he was leaning toward his son, Michael, who's a sophomore at Moeller High School, and his former offensive line coach, Jim McNally, who's now with the Carolina Panthers.
''He made me the player I was,'' Munoz said of McNally.
Receiving the chance to play was a struggle for Munoz, who overcame three knee operations in college. Though he reportedly failed physical examinations for 14 different NFL teams, other clubs remained enamored of his potential.
The Bengals, who selected him third overall in the 1980 draft from the USC, believed in him the most.
''I thought he was special from the beginning,'' former Cincinnati coach Forrest Gregg said. ''It turned out he was.''
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