Anthony Muñoz was in a tier of his own; Where is he now?
CINCINNATI (BVM) – Trent Williams has gotten well-deserved attention over the years and some have even classified him as the best tackle of all time. And that very well may be the case.
But the conversation starts with Anthony Muñoz.
The 13-year NFL tackle was widely regarded as the best to ever do it for years. And if anyone is going to give Williams a run for their money for that title, it’s Muñoz.
Before the NFL
Muñoz grew up in Ontario, California, where he starred at Chaffey High School. Following his prep career, he decided to stay in-state where he attended the University of Southern California.
He instantly became the anchor for the Trojan offensive line.
In Muñoz’s college career, USC won the Rose Bowl in three of his four seasons. His final victory in Pasadena came during his senior year.
That season, he suffered a knee injury in the Trojans’ first game. He missed the entire year until the bowl game came around. USC defeated Ohio State 17-16.
Outside of football, he made a big impact on the baseball program as well. Muñoz pitched meaningful innings for a USC team that would win a national championship in 1978.
But nonetheless, Muñoz’s future was clearly going to be on the football field.
NFL career
In the 1980 NFL Draft, the Cincinnati Bengals selected him with the No. 3 overall pick.
There were some questions surrounding the durability of Muñoz due to him missing nine games over the course of his junior and senior seasons, but he proved everyone wrong, missing only three games throughout his entire NFL career.
Muñoz was a part of two of the three Super Bowl appearances in Bengals’ history, both resulting in losses to the San Francisco 49ers.
Over the course of his career, he made First-team All-Pro nine times and Second-team All-Pro twice.
He was also regarded just as highly off the field. He won the Bart Starr Award in 1990 and the NFL Man of the Year Award in 1991.
Muñoz was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1998 and into the Bengals’ Ring of Honor in 2021.
Cincinnati has not officially retired Muñoz’s No. 78, but no one in the organization has worn the number since he left.
Where is he now?
After his pro career, Muñoz got to watch both of his kids have collegiate careers of their own. His son, Michael, played football at Tennessee while his daughter, Michelle, played basketball at Tennessee and Ohio State.
In May, Muñoz accepted a full-time position with the Pro Football Hall of Fame, serving as a chief football relationship officer.
