Tag: Anthony Munoz

Anthony Munoz and Charles White are inseparable in USC football history

Charles White made his last #USC game his greatest one with Anthony Munoz’s help. Munoz joins @TrojanConquests & @LBCTrojan Sunday, June 4 at 8 ET, 5 PT.

The next USC football season will be the first USC football season following the death of Charles White this past January. White died on Jan. 11, 2023, less than 10 days after the 2022 USC season ended.

There will be tributes to Charles White at USC home games this season. The school and the 2023 team will remember White, a central part of USC’s glory days in the late 1970s. Another towering figure from those golden times was and is Anthony Munoz.

USC has had many great offensive linemen and many great running backs. If one was to associate one lineman with one running back in USC history, a few different pairings emerge: Ron Yary blocking for O.J. Simpson in 1967; Bruce Matthews blocking for Marcus Allen in 1981; and Munoz blocking for Charles White in the 1979 season.

One of the greatest drives in USC football history involved Munoz and White. It was their last shared game together as Trojans, and boy did they make the moment count. Munoz shrugged off an injury-riddled 1979 regular season to play in the 1980 Rose Bowl for No. 3 USC against No. 1 and unbeaten Ohio State. This would be Munoz’s last game before turning pro as a Cincinnati Bengal. This would be the final game of White’s epic 1979 Heisman Trophy-winning season at USC.

The Trojans, down 16-10 with nearly five minutes left in the fourth quarter, got the ball at their own 17. White ran for a combined 60 yards on the first two plays of that drive. He got a breather on the next two plays, which moved the ball from the Ohio State 23 to the 12. White then returned to the field and gained the last 12 yards of the drive, scoring from one yard out with just over 1:30 left.

White gained 72 of the 83 yards on the touchdown drive which tied the game at 16. The extra point gave USC a 17-16 lead. The Trojans stopped Ohio State’s offense. White came in and gained 16 more yards to finish with 247 yards in the last game he ever played for the Trojans, with Munoz blocking for him.

Charles White created incredible memories for USC fans, and Anthony Munoz created the running lanes White used to great effect. Two men are impossible to separate in the long and storied history of Trojan football. Anthony Munoz has a special place not only in the story of USC, but in the career of the late, great Charles White, whose memory will be treasured forever … and will be honored this coming season at the Los Angeles Coliseum.

Anthony Munoz will appear on this Sunday’s edition of Trojan Conquest Live at The Voice of College Football. Watch the show on YouTube on Sunday, June 4, at 8 p.m. Eastern time and 5 p.m. Pacific on the USC channel at The Voice of College Football. Co-hosts Tim Prangley and Rick Anaya will talk to Munoz for an hour. It’s a program you won’t want to miss.

Follow Tim Prangley on Twitter, where he will tweet out the YouTube link to his special Anthony Munoz interview before the show goes live on Sunday evening.

[lawrence-auto-related count=1 tag=696090378]

Anthony Munoz owns a unique claim to NFL greatness

A very small subset of NFL players owns the level of stature Anthony Munoz possesses. Munoz joins @TrojanConquests and @LBCTrojan on June 4 at 8 ET, 5 PT.

There are only 32 NFL players who can make a very specific claim, more if you count defunct NFL franchises. (The Houston Oilers are not a defunct franchise; they are merely the previous iteration of what is now the Tennessee Titans. The most recent defunct NFL franchise is the New York Bulldogs/Yanks, who folded in 1951.)

That claim is simple but weighty and powerful: a claim as the most important player in their history of an NFL franchise.

There is a most important New England Patriot. There is a most important Jacksonville Jaguar. There is a most important Detroit Lion. There is a most important player on all 32 NFL teams (plus the defunct franchises). That’s a very small number, a very small percentage of all the NFL players who have ever stepped onto a Sunday gridiron.

When discussing the most important Cincinnati Bengal of all time, it has to be Anthony Munoz, at least today. Maybe in a few years, Joe Burrow will win a Super Bowl, which might change the conversation. Today — May 31, 2023 — Munoz has to be No. 1 in Bengal history.

One year after Munoz was drafted by Cincinnati in 1980, the Bengals made their first Super Bowl. Munoz was the anchor of the team’s offensive line in two different Super Bowls. Burrow did make Super Bowl LVI in the 2021 season, but Munoz led the Bengals through a multi-Super Bowl era. He also brought to an end the Pittsburgh Steelers’ rule of what was then known as the AFC Central Division.

Crucially, Munoz made Super Bowls with two different Bengal quarterbacks: Ken Anderson (XVI, 1981 season) and Boomer Esiason (XXIII, 1988 season). Munoz being the common thread on two different Super Bowl teams with two different quarterbacks puts him ahead of Burrow. The equation changes only when Burrow wins a Super Bowl or makes three Super Bowls. Right now, it’s still Munoz at No. 1, Burrow at No. 2.

Watch Anthony Munoz talk to co-hosts Tim Prangley and Rick Anaya on Trojan Conquest Live this Sunday, June 4. The live broadcast begins at 8 p.m. Eastern time, 5 p.m. Pacific (maybe one or two minutes after).

It’s the USC YouTube show you won’t want to miss. The episode will be labeled Trojan Conquest Live 14. Follow co-host Tim Prangley on Twitter for updates and more information.

[lawrence-auto-related count=1 tag=696090378]

Anthony Munoz will share stories and insights with Trojan fans on June 4

Sunday, June 4, at 8 Eastern and 5 Pacific, #USC legend Anthony Munoz joins @TrojanConquests and @LBCTrojan at the @VoiceOfCFB.

You probably know by now that Trojans Wire appears on two YouTube shows each week. One is our Monday night show with Mark Rogers at The Voice of College Football. The other is the new USC Sunday show at the Voice of CFB. Trojan Conquest Live airs Sundays at 8 p.m. Eastern and 5 p.m. Pacific. We hope you can regularly join the show on Sundays. If not, you can always watch the recorded broadcast on YouTube whenever you have a chance. Next Sunday, however, is a really big deal. This is the show you really want to see live at 5 p.m. in Los Angeles.

Anthony Munoz, a national champion with USC and a Pro Football Hall of Famer with the Cincinnati Bengals, is one of the greatest offensive linemen to have ever played the game of football. He is a legend of the game and a USC icon. He will join co-hosts Tim Prangley and Rick Anaya next Sunday, June 4, on a special edition of Trojan Conquest Live. Tim and Rick will ask some questions. Anthony Munoz will share plenty of stories and insights. You won’t want to miss this.

Trojan Conquest Live gives you the USC YouTube content you crave. Subscribe to, like and share the USC YouTube channel at The Voice of College Football. Join as a member for exclusive bonus content at the middle or top membership tiers. This is part of how you can support Trojans Wire and its partnership with The Voice of College Football.

Stay tuned on Sunday, June 4, at 8 Eastern and 5 Pacific, for an hour with Anthony Munoz on Trojan Conquest Live.

[lawrence-auto-related count=1 tag=696090378]

Anthony Munoz delivered Hall of Fame news to Ken Riley II

An incredible phone call in Bengals history.

Anthony Munoz, the first Cincinnati Bengals player in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, was the one doing the honors of informing the family of the second this past week.

It was Munoz who delivered the news via phone call to Ken Riley II informing him that his late father’s long wait was finally over and that he would be forever enshrined in Canton.

Riley II had previously vowed never to visit the hall until his father’s wait ended.

“It’s bittersweet,” Ken Riley II told Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. “Just relief. And disbelief because it’s been over 30 years for this to finally happen. It’s like, ‘Wow.’”

Here’s a video of the historic moment:

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1]

Anthony Munoz reveals how Bengals players can avoid Super Bowl letdown

The Bengals Hall of Famer knows what it takes to get back.

[mm-video type=video id=01g68qmx5frptcghjre0 playlist_id=none player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01g68qmx5frptcghjre0/01g68qmx5frptcghjre0-272c2020142a68dfcfbca117a23c5d0e.jpg]

Cincinnati Bengals legend Anthony Munoz knows what it takes to get back to the Super Bowl.

Munoz’s jaw-dropping resume includes 11 Pro Bowls, nine First-Team All-Pros and two Super Bowls, albeit Super Bowl appearances that came seven years apart.

And now he’s seeing a young Bengals team tasked with not repeating history by struggling the season after getting back to the big game.

He’s got one key lesson he’d love to share with the current players.

“Don’t let the distractions keep you from getting ready again for the next season,” Munoz said, according to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. “That was the biggest thing. You get pulled from every direction. There’s this drain on your time and then all of a sudden you start moving in that direction and you forget what got you in position to do the things that got you to the Super Bowl.”

There’s one more thing Munoz says is for locker room leaders: “Keep staying vocal and keep an example on how to continue to stay focused. Accountability, man. Hold guys accountable. It looks like they have those guys.”

We’ll see if Bengals players have followed this style of advice closely enough to get back. But by most accounts — when the franchise quarterback is running extra sprints after voluntary practices and new tight ends are using some of the six-week break to attend extra camps — the players are putting in that extra work.

Given the core team leadership that got the Bengals to the Super Bowl ahead of schedule already, it’s pretty safe for fans to feel confident the team will at least put in the right amount of work in the pursuit of getting back.

[listicle id=150643]

Chiefs’ Orlando Brown Jr. strives to be compared to NFL’s greats at left tackle

The newest offensive lineman in Kansas City has some hefty aspirations.

The Kansas City Chiefs have acquired a big new left tackle in Orlando Brown Jr. (6-8, 345 pounds) who has even bigger goals with his new team.

Brown Jr. has played three seasons in the NFL so far. Even though the 2020 NFL season was one of his best yet, he knows there’s a lot of room for improvement within his game. He doesn’t want to improve just to impress his new team either. He has aspirations of being recognized among some of the greatest players to ever play the left tackle position.

“A lot better, a lot better,” Brown Jr. told reporters during his introductory press conference. “I can grow a lot as a player and I will grow a lot as a player. There’s so much in my game that I want to continue to develop, to put myself on the highest pedestal and be compared with those great players that played the left tackle position like Jonathan Ogden, like Walter Jones, like Tony Boselli, like Anthony Munoz — Eventually putting myself in that position.”

For anyone keeping score, that’s three Pro Football Hall of Famers and a player deserving of Hall of Fame recognition. Those are some pretty lofty goals for a player that has just 700 total snaps at left tackle during his professional career.

Now that Brown Jr. has secured the opportunity to play left tackle, his goals to get better and be recognized as an all-time great should drive him to success with his new team. He even believes that the Chiefs’ offensive scheme will perhaps help him to better showcase his ability.

“As far as the offensive scheme here, I’ve watched a lot of film on Kansas City just like I’m sure every other NFL team or NFL player has,” Brown Jr. said. “I know a little bit about the system. I look forward to learning a lot more but I’m just excited to be in the system, to have the opportunity to really showcase my talents. They do a lot of different things here than what we did in Baltimore just schematically, so I’m really looking forward to that.”

What he knows for certain is that his best football has yet to be played, and with a team like Kansas City, the sky is the limit.

“I would say I still have a long way to go,” Brown Jr. said. “I would say that I’m not even close to playing my best football right now. I’ll only get better as time goes.”

[listicle id=91673]

Anthony Munoz to announce third-round pick for Bengals during 2021 draft

A Cincinnati Bengals great will announce the team’s pick next week.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbw0bft20de1r4d player_id=none image=https://bengalswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

The NFL will once again roll out special guests to announce draft picks during the 2021 NFL draft, meaning a Cincinnati Bengals legend will once again get to handle the honors.

This year the stage belongs to Anthony Munoz.

According to The Athletic’s Jay Morrison, Munoz will announce the team’s third-round pick on Friday night. If one had to guess based on Cincinnati’s needs, he could very well announce an offensive lineman.

Munoz, alongside Paul Brown, is one of the first inductees into the Bengals’ newly crafted Ring of Honor. He’s been on record as saying the Bengals should take an offensive lineman early, though that’s something that could easily happen during the pick he’s announcing depending on what the team does with the fifth overall pick.

[listicle id=42072]

Paul Brown and Anthony Munoz headline inaugural Bengals Ring of Honor

We now know the first two members of the Cincinnati Bengals Ring of Honor.

[mm-video type=video id=01f1jh5wgcnqgaxnpk playlist_id=01eqbw0bft20de1r4d player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01f1jh5wgcnqgaxnpk/01f1jh5wgcnqgaxnpk-04f4d3cf7f0a4168b43ea421b7b766c8.jpg]

The Cincinnati Bengals finally made the long-requested move for the franchise by announcing its Ring of Honor.

In no great shock, Paul Brown and Anthony Munoz will be the first two inaugural members.

Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com caught up with Munoz after he learned of his induction in a surprise meeting that he thought was a routine thing and the Hall of Famer spoke about what it means to go into the ring alongside Brown:

“To know I had a chance to spend 10 of my 13 years around him every day was amazing. Now you get a chance to go into this Ring of Honor with him and it’s pretty cool. It is really exciting. It’s an honor. The organization has had some amazing, amazing players over the 50–plus years of existence. I think this is great because now we get to celebrate all the guys and that’s what it’s all about.”

Cincinnati will induct four total former Bengals into the ring this year, with season ticket members getting the chance to vote on the other two. Boomer Esiason, Chad Johnson, Ken Anderson and Ken Riley were the other names featured in the team’s announcement video.

Considering the team’s rich history, fans and the team alike have plenty of personnel to choose from dating back 50-plus years.

For those curious, we’ve already seen a potentially leaked design of Ring of Honor names at Paul Brown Stadium.

[listicle id=41822]

Anthony Munoz is a big believer in Jonah Williams leading charge for Bengals

Cincinnati Bengals legend Anthony Munoz had some kind words for Jonah Williams.

[jwplayer LOn90xPc-ThvAeFxT]

Anthony Munoz knows a thing or two about the offensive line and says the Cincinnati Bengals have something special with Jonah Williams.

Williams, who missed all of last season, was the target of Munoz praise alongside fellow sophomore Michael Jordan.

“They’re young, but I’m excited about that,” Munoz said, according to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. “You’ll go through some growing pains, but I think eventually you’re going to be pretty good over there.”

Munoz specifically expanded on why he isn’t worried about the fact Williams missed last season, not to mention the unorthodox summer facing the entire NFL:

“He’s had a full year in the system. He knows the system. That’s an advantage. He’s not coming in cold. He’s in unchartered waters, no question. From what I hear he’s got an unbelievable work ethic. My advice is, ‘It’s your spot. Get after it like you were there last year. Continue with that work ethic. Believe in your technique.'”

Williams has certainly looked the part this offseason as he trains with a modern legend like Joe Staley. One doesn’t have to look far or wide to find this coaching staff praising him last year for his continued prep even though he was out with an injury.

The Bengals have a ton riding on Williams as he gets ready to protect Joe Burrow in 2020. If Munoz is confident in the outlook, pretty much anybody should be.

[vertical-gallery id=32571]

Brett Favre, Anthony Munoz latest to sing Joe Burrow’s praises ahead of draft

Probable Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow has some big fans in Anthony Munoz and Brett Favre.

[sendtonews_embed video_id=”HL696fuMNv-698992-7498″]

Hall of Famers Anthony Munoz and Brett Favre are two great guys for an NFL hopeful to have in his corner.

And probable Cincinnati Bengals No. 1 pick Joe Burrow has them both backing him.

Both Munoz and Favre have appeared in interviews recently and had nothing but praise for Burrow.

Munoz, the lone Bengals player in the Hall of Fame, made it clear he understands what Burrow is capable of pulling off in Cincinnati.

“The quarterback can come in here, can rally this town, rally this team and really put his footprint on this city,” Munoz said, according to ESPN’s Ben Baby.

Perhaps more notably given the position, if not accolades, Favre heaped droves of praise on Burrow ahead of the draft.

Favre said the following on CBS Sports HQ, according to Jordan Dajani:

“Well, I think Joe Burrow would deserve to be the first pick in the draft if you just strictly base it off of his performance this past year. From a team standpoint, I don’t think we ever have seen a team dominate the way they dominated, and obviously he was the leader of that team.”

And then this: “I think Joe Burrow is as close to a ‘can’t miss’ as you can possibly get based on his performance.”

The Bengals would agree with Favre vehemently before they get ready to make the pick. Luckily, Burrow hasn’t blinked in the face of expectations so far, so he’ll surely take the hype generated by these comments in stride.

“Do you hate this? Love it? Want to share your thoughts on this article? Sound off in the Bengals Wire forum!”

[vertical-gallery id=30842]