Category Archives: Pro Football HoF

NFL, Pro Football HoF

Munchak, Mike “Munchie”

Card: Action Packed 1990
Acquired: In Person 1991, Houston Oilers Training Camp

I got a stack of autographs out at camp that year, and future Hall of Famer Mike Munchak was one of them along with Bruce Matthews. Together they formed one of the greatest 1 2 combinations in the NFL on the offensive line, and these two were basically inseparable it seemed, on or off the field once Bruce was drafted in 1983.

Munchak was a heavily decorated lineman coming out of Penn State in 1982 and had all of the skills, metrics, and size that you could want out of a prototypical guard (6’3, 281). The 8th pick taken in the first round by the Houston Oilers, he’d play his entire career in Houston and by 1984 had established himself as a formidable force. In a day when defenses could do a lot more to limit production of the passing offenses, the Oilers typically ranked near the top of the passing charts and near the bottom in sacks allowed with Munchie nailing down the left guard position.

Equally adept at the pass or run, Munchak was named to 9 Pro Bowls and first or second team AP 10 times over his distinguished career. He’d see the rebirth of the franchise from the doormat of the AFC Central (2-14, 1983) to the dominant power of the AFC (12-4, 1993) as injuries to his knees eventually forced his hand into retirement after the 1993 season. Named to the 80s All NFL Team, Munchak had his number retired by the Tennesee Titans (who he never played for).  

He has worked his way up the staff of the Titans and after Jeff Fisher’s departure from the franchise in 2011, Munchak was a shoe in for the job. Ironically in 2010, the Texans attempted to steal Munchak off the staff of the Titans to pair him up with Matthews as coaches again in Houston, -but the Titans refused to grant an interview. The Titans then turned around and hired Bruce Matthews off of the Texans’ staff to be offensive line coach reuniting the inseparable linemen again but this time in Tennessee.

 

NFL, Pro Football HoF

St. Clair, Bob “The Geek” (1931-2015)

Card: ProSet 1990 HoF
Acquired: TTM 2010, C/o Home (signing fee)
Sent: 2/3 Received: 3/10 (38 days)

Bob St. Clair was an anomaly in a league where most players today- move around to different cities and stadiums on a regular basis. Bob played 189 games in the same stadium and later it would be renamed from Kezar to St. Clair in his honor because of this. Drafted in the 3rd round of the 1953 draft, St. Clair quickly garnered the nickname “The Geek” for his penchant for eating raw meat and his pure size (6′ 9″, 263). At that time he was considered one of the largest tackles in the history of the game and easily engulfed opposing defensive linemen on both passing and rushing downs. He’d play 10 seasons with distinction (5 Pro Bowls and 4 as All Pro)  and is simply considered the 49ers greatest offensive tackle of all time. An astounding special teams player, Bob would also occasionally see time in goal line and special teams situations, blocking 10 field goals in one season (1956), and lost 5 teeth once blocking a punt. St. Clair was a dominating presence. (By modern standards Darrell Green is considered the record holder in field goals blocked in a season with 4, and there are multiple players tied for the career honor at 10.  Bob blocked 10- in a season.) He’d retire in 1964 due to a nagging Achilles heel injury.

Since that time Bob has served as mayor of Daly City, Ca, and also owns a liquor store that still bears his name. In 1990, St. Clair was inducted into the Pro Football HoF as a senior nominee. The HoF itself is a statistically driven league and it is very nice that St. Clair, one of the best lineman of all time did get his day in the sun- however there is a dearth of offensive lineman in the hall.  I sent out for his autograph earlier this year- to which it was returned requesting a 10.00 signing fee. (Obviously I resent it and within a month or so I had his autograph on his card.)

UPDATE – On February 24th 2015, St. Clair suffered a broken hip but complications later set in. He passed away on Monday, April 20th 2015.

AFL, NFL, Pro Football HoF, Super Bowl MVP

Namath, Joe “Broadway Joe”

Card: ProSet 1990 SB
Acquired: In Person 1993, CGA Youth Golf Tournament

Okay, the CGA Youth Golf Tournament had the hugest names- and there were few bigger than Joe Namath there, well unless you include Maury Povich who people were mistaking him for. Joe was a really cool guy, but reminded me of my grandpa. He got off the golf cart and the only thing I could look at were his knees. It was obvious that the frequent surgeries had taken their toll on him, especially when he was going uphill. He told us he was unable to sign any Upper Deck cards, since he had a contract with those, and any others he could only sign if they were personalized and would only sign one per person- but he’d sign one for everybody. I was ecstatic with that deal. He signed mine “Lee, Good meeting ya’, Joe Namath”. I laughed because he ran out of room on the card and used an insert carat to write “ya'”. The ProSet 1990 SuperBowl card was a perfect card though, and the illustration was well worth the man who made the greatest guarantee in sports history.

One of the biggest names of the upstart AFL against the NFL, Joe Namath was drafted by the New York Jets in the first round of the AFL’s 1965 draft out of Alabama. (Bear Bryant would state later that signing Namath at Alabama would be one of the best decisions he ever made.) While the St. Louis Cardinals would also draft Namath, but with a huge salary at the time on the line, would elect to go to the Jets and at season’s end would be named rookie of the year. Namath over the next few seasons would transform the struggling Jets team into a contender, culminating in SuperBowl III where he brashly proclaimed before the game to reporters that the Jets would win over the heavily favored NFL Baltimore Colts. He’d come through on that bet, and the team would help usher the AFL into the NFL merger on a high note and a fair amount of respect and garner MVP honors for the game. Joe would earn the nickname “Broadway Joe” for his engaging personality, great smile and the media circus that would inevitably follow. He would have a few notable run ins with the commissioner as well, but by 1970 Namath’s knee injuries had caught up to him. His next few seasons would be injury plagued, and in 1975 he was waived. Joe Namath would finish his career playing his final season with the Los Angeles Rams. Namath has a lasting legacy in the annuls of NFL history, as the first 4,000 yard passer and the winner of the first overtime game in NFL history. On a side note he also played in the first Monday Night Football game. Joe Namath after retirement went right into acting, where he’s had a steady stream of guest appearances in TV, film and ironically- Broadway. He has also spent a great deal of time handling color commentary, finished college and is a speaker for the March of Dimes. Namath also remains an active non-official spokesperson for the New York Jets and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985.

G/Gs 140/130     Att 3762   Comp 1886   Yds 27663  Pct 50.1%    Td 173   Int 220   Rat 65.5    Lg 91