Chuck Muncie
Encyclopedia
Harry Vance "Chuck" Muncie (born March 17, 1953 in Uniontown, Pennsylvania
) is a former American football
running back
who played for the New Orleans Saints
and San Diego Chargers
in the National Football League
from 1976 to 1984. He was selected to the Pro Bowl
three times (1979, 1981, 1982) and tied the then-NFL season record for rushing touchdowns in 1981.
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Muncie was considered by many as one of the best running backs in the game until cocaine
problems forced him into retirement. Eventually he went to prison
where he turned his life around and now helps others through mentoring programs.
town, as one of six children in a football-playing family. Muncie played during his senior year in high school, before an injury halted his career and he turned to basketball
. Muncie got a scholarship to Arizona Western Junior College (now Arizona Western College)
. While there, the coach of the football team was sufficiently impressed by Muncie's talent that he convinced him to try out for football as well. Muncie did so, and made the team. He never played basketball for the school but was recruited by the University of California, Berkeley
after one year.
Muncie was a star running back for California during the 1970s. He was big, fast and elusive, and was also a good receiver. Muncie set six school rushing records, including most touchdown
s and most yards gained in a single season. He was instrumental in Cal's NCAA-leading offense which propelled the team to the co-championship of the Pac-8
in 1975, and he appeared for the first time on the cover of Sports Illustrated
. Muncie was a strong candidate for the Heisman Trophy
and finished second in the voting in 1975 behind Archie Griffin
of Ohio State. He was awarded the 1975 W.J. Voit Memorial Trophy
as the outstanding football player on the Pacific Coast. After Muncie graduated, the New Orleans Saints selected him in the 1st round of the 1976
NFL Draft
with the 3rd overall selection.
Muncie was one of the first players to wear glasses or goggles
during games.
Muncie was also an active member of the fraternity Theta Delta Chi
, nicknamed the "Chia House," for its noticeable ivy exterior. In Theta Delta Chi, Muncie lived in Grass Hut and then in Ski Hut—two rooms of the house named after Muncie.
During the 1980 season, Muncie was traded to the San Diego Chargers, where he again was selected for the Pro Bowl twice, including 1981 when he ran for 1,144 yards and 19 touchdowns, tying the then-NFL season record for rushing touchdowns. He went on to rush for 120 yards and a touchdown in San Diego's 41-38 win over the Miami Dolphins
in a famous playoff game known as The Epic in Miami
, and 94 yards in the AFC title game, known as the Freezer Bowl
. Muncie also helped lead the team to two AFC West
division championships. He appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated
three times once while he was at University of California, Berkeley
and twice while he was with Chargers. He retired at the end of the 1984 season.
Muncie finished his 9 season career with 6,702 rushing yards, 263 receptions for 2,323 yards, 20 kickoff returns for 432 yards, and 74 touchdowns.
for 18 months on cocaine distribution charges. After prison, Muncie has dedicated himself to a life of community service. He established his own foundation called the Chuck Muncie Youth Foundation (http://www.chuckmuncie.org). His foundation offers Youth Mentoring, Kids Camp, Tattoo Removal, School Assistance, Immunization for the Uninsured, Wellness Fair, Job Training and an array of other programs. Muncie continues to mentor University of California football players.
Uniontown, Pennsylvania
Uniontown is a city in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, southeast of Pittsburgh and part of the Pittsburgh Metro Area. Population in 1900, 7,344; in 1910, 13,344; in 1920, 15,692; and in 1940, 21,819. The population was 10,372 at the 2010 census...
) is a former American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
who played for the New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
and San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
from 1976 to 1984. He was selected to the Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
three times (1979, 1981, 1982) and tied the then-NFL season record for rushing touchdowns in 1981.
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Muncie was considered by many as one of the best running backs in the game until cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
problems forced him into retirement. Eventually he went to prison
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
where he turned his life around and now helps others through mentoring programs.
Early life and career
Muncie was born and raised in a coal-mining PennsylvaniaPennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
town, as one of six children in a football-playing family. Muncie played during his senior year in high school, before an injury halted his career and he turned to basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
. Muncie got a scholarship to Arizona Western Junior College (now Arizona Western College)
Arizona Western College
Arizona Western College is a public community college located in Yuma, Arizona, United States. AWC offers classes in San Luis, Somerton, Marine Corp Air Station , Wellton, Dateland, and La Paz....
. While there, the coach of the football team was sufficiently impressed by Muncie's talent that he convinced him to try out for football as well. Muncie did so, and made the team. He never played basketball for the school but was recruited by the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
after one year.
Muncie was a star running back for California during the 1970s. He was big, fast and elusive, and was also a good receiver. Muncie set six school rushing records, including most touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
s and most yards gained in a single season. He was instrumental in Cal's NCAA-leading offense which propelled the team to the co-championship of the Pac-8
Pacific Ten Conference
The Pacific-12 Conference is a college athletic conference that operates in the Western United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I; its football teams compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision , the higher of two levels of NCAA Division I football competition...
in 1975, and he appeared for the first time on the cover of Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
. Muncie was a strong candidate for the Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
and finished second in the voting in 1975 behind Archie Griffin
Archie Griffin
Archie Mason Griffin is a former American football running back. Griffin played seven seasons in the NFL with the Cincinnati Bengals. He is college football's only two-time Heisman Trophy winner...
of Ohio State. He was awarded the 1975 W.J. Voit Memorial Trophy
W.J. Voit Memorial Trophy
The W. J. Voit Memorial Trophy was awarded by the Helms Athletic Foundation from 1951 to 1978 to the outstanding college football player on the Pacific Coast. The recipient was determined based on votes cast by West Coast football writers and later broadcasters as well. Award recipients include...
as the outstanding football player on the Pacific Coast. After Muncie graduated, the New Orleans Saints selected him in the 1st round of the 1976
1976 NFL Draft
The 1976 National Football League Draft was an annual player selection meeting held on April 8–April 9, 1976. It lasted 17 rounds, with the expansion Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Seattle Seahawks making the first two selections. The expansion teams were also given a pair of extra picks at the end of...
NFL Draft
NFL Draft
The National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...
with the 3rd overall selection.
Muncie was one of the first players to wear glasses or goggles
Goggles
Goggles or safety glasses are forms of protective eyewear that usually enclose or protect the area surrounding the eye in order to prevent particulates, water or chemicals from striking the eyes. They are used in chemistry laboratories and in woodworking. They are often used in snow sports as well,...
during games.
Muncie was also an active member of the fraternity Theta Delta Chi
Theta Delta Chi
Theta Delta Chi is a social fraternity that was founded in 1847 at Union College. While nicknames differ from institution to institution, the most common nicknames for the fraternity are Theta Delt, Thete, TDX, and TDC. Theta Delta Chi brothers refer to their local organization as Charges rather...
, nicknamed the "Chia House," for its noticeable ivy exterior. In Theta Delta Chi, Muncie lived in Grass Hut and then in Ski Hut—two rooms of the house named after Muncie.
NFL career
Muncie went to the Pro Bowl and was named the game's MVP after the 1979 season with the Saints, and set numerous records that remain unbroken to date; first player in the history of the Saints selected for "All Pro" and the ONLY player to date (2010) selected as MVP (Saints) for the Probowl (1980). Muncie became the first Saints player ever to reach the 1,000-yard rushing plateau when he ran for 1,198 yards in 1979. But he requested a trade after the 1979 season, alleging a racist atmosphere in New Orleans.During the 1980 season, Muncie was traded to the San Diego Chargers, where he again was selected for the Pro Bowl twice, including 1981 when he ran for 1,144 yards and 19 touchdowns, tying the then-NFL season record for rushing touchdowns. He went on to rush for 120 yards and a touchdown in San Diego's 41-38 win over the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in a famous playoff game known as The Epic in Miami
The Epic in Miami
The Epic in Miami is the name given to a National Football League AFC divisional playoff game between the San Diego Chargers and the Miami Dolphins that took place on January 2, 1982 in the Miami Orange Bowl...
, and 94 yards in the AFC title game, known as the Freezer Bowl
Freezer Bowl
In NFL lore, the Freezer Bowl was the 1981 AFC Championship Game between the San Diego Chargers and the Cincinnati Bengals. The game was played in the coldest temperature in NFL history in terms of wind chill...
. Muncie also helped lead the team to two AFC West
AFC West
The AFC West is a division of the National Football League's American Football Conference, currently comprising the Denver Broncos, San Diego Chargers, Kansas City Chiefs, and the Oakland Raiders.-History:...
division championships. He appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
three times once while he was at University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
and twice while he was with Chargers. He retired at the end of the 1984 season.
Muncie finished his 9 season career with 6,702 rushing yards, 263 receptions for 2,323 yards, 20 kickoff returns for 432 yards, and 74 touchdowns.
After Football Life Experiences
Muncie spent time in federal prison in CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
for 18 months on cocaine distribution charges. After prison, Muncie has dedicated himself to a life of community service. He established his own foundation called the Chuck Muncie Youth Foundation (http://www.chuckmuncie.org). His foundation offers Youth Mentoring, Kids Camp, Tattoo Removal, School Assistance, Immunization for the Uninsured, Wellness Fair, Job Training and an array of other programs. Muncie continues to mentor University of California football players.