Pro Football Historian (PFH) is a blog page written by Flint Given. Pro Football Historian or PFH is a page to inform people on prior NFL events that people might not know about. Learning about teams from the 1920s or even the first few NFL World Championships in the 1930s fascinates me. It's these kinds of events that I want to discuss in this blog. Hopefully you are interested and will continue to check up on my blogs. Check out the website at https://profootballhistorian.lovable.app/
Dwight Eugene Stephenson is an American former professional football player who was a center for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League from 1980 to 1987. He played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide. Stephenson was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1998.
Stephenson was drafted by Don Shula and the Miami Dolphins in the second round of the 1980 NFL draft. He was used on special teams only until late in the 1981 season, when starting center Mark Dennard was injured. A few seasons later, Stephenson was "universally recognized as the premier center in the NFL".
With the exceptionally explosive Stephenson as offensive captain, the Dolphins offensive line gave up the fewest sacks in the NFL for a record six straight seasons, from 1982 to 1987, which doubled the length of the previous record. He retired from pro football in 1987, after sustaining a left knee injury in a play involving New York Jets Marty Lyons and Joe Klecko.
Stephenson was voted as an All-Pro five consecutive times from 1983 to 1987. He was selected to play on five Pro Bowl squads over the same span. He was named AFC Offensive Lineman of the Year by the NFLPA five consecutive times (1983–87) and voted the Seagram's Seven Crowns of Sports Offensive Lineman of the Year three consecutive times (1983–85). He started at center in the AFC Championship Game three times, in 1982, 1984, and 1985. He was the starting center in the Dolphins' two most recent Super Bowl appearances: Super Bowl XVII and Super Bowl XIX. In 1985, Stephenson was the recipient of the NFL Man of the Year Award for "outstanding community service and playing excellence."
On December 12, 1994 Stephenson was added to the Miami Dolphins Honor Roll.
Despite the brevity of his career, in 1999, Stephenson was ranked number 84 on The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Football Players. Also in 1999, he was inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame, and in 2011, Stephenson was inducted into the Hampton Roads Sports Hall of Fame, for his contributions to sports in southeastern Virginia.
In 1998, Stephenson was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was quoted as saying that "I know I’m not going to make every block, but I don’t like to ever get beat. That’s what keeps me motivated. There’s always the next play to get ready for.”
In 2005, Stephenson was named the Walter Camp Man of the Year.
He is the namesake of Pro Football Focus' annual Dwight Stephenson Award, honoring the player the website considers best in the NFL regardless of position.
After retiring from football, as of 2013, Stephenson had worked as a construction manager and general contractor in Florida. He remains a strong supporter of the University of Alabama's football team.
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Michael Anthony Muñoz is an American former football offensive tackle who played for 13 seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League. He played college football for the USC Trojans. In 2022, an ESPN panel named Muñoz as the greatest offensive tackle in NFL history. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1998.
Muñoz was the third overall pick in the 1980 NFL draft by the Cincinnati Bengals. His selection was viewed as a major risk by many pundits since knee problems limited the 6 ft. 6 in., 280-pound Muñoz to just a combined 16 games in his final two college seasons.
Muñoz became a starter in his rookie season and remained a fixture at left tackle for the Bengals for 13 seasons and is considered one of the greatest offensive linemen - if not the greatest - in NFL history. Despite his history of injuries, Muñoz missed just three games during his first 12 seasons. His rigorous workout routine included working out in the weight room he had installed in his home and running three to four miles every day. In addition to his talents as a blocker, Anthony Muñoz was also a capable receiver, notching seven receptions for 18 yards and scoring four touchdowns on tackle-eligible plays, including one in 1984 from rookie quarterback Boomer Esiason against the Cleveland Browns in Cleveland.
Muñoz played in two Super Bowls during his time with the Bengals, XVI and XXIII, both narrow losses to the San Francisco 49ers.
After missing much of the 1992 season battling knee and shoulder injuries, Muñoz attempted to play a 14th season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but he was released before the season started and decided to retire shortly after.
Muñoz was the Offensive Lineman of the Year in 1981, and 1988, and was awarded the NFL Players Association Lineman of the Year honors in 1981, 1985, 1988, and 1989. The NFL Alumni Association voted Munoz the Offensive Lineman of the Year four times (1987, 1989–1991). He won the Seagram's Seven Crowns of Sports award for Offensive Lineman of the Year in 1981 and 1986.
At the time of his retirement, his Pro Bowl selections were tied with Tom Mack for the most ever by an offensive lineman in league history, and also set the Bengals franchise record. In 1994, Muñoz was named to the National Football League 75th Anniversary All-Time Team. In 1999, he was ranked #17 on Sporting News' list of the 100 greatest football players and was the highest-ranked offensive lineman. In 2010, he was ranked #12 on the NFL Network's The Top 100: NFL's Greatest Players list and again was the highest-ranked offensive lineman.
In 1998, Muñoz was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was the first exclusive Cincinnati Bengals player to be enshrined. Shortly after receiving the honor, Muñoz's hometown of Ontario, California, renamed its Colony Park "Anthony Muñoz Hall of Fame Park". The renaming ceremony was held on June 26, 1998, and was attended by Muñoz, his family, city officials, and Ontario residents.
Muñoz was a member of the Bengals inaugural Ring of Honor class in 2021.
While the Bengals have not officially retired it, they have not reissued the number 78 since Muñoz left the team.
Muñoz appeared in two motion pictures: 1980's Borderline as "Guatemalan" and 1983's The Right Stuff (an Academy Award nominee for Best Picture) as "Gonzalez".
From 1994 to 1995, Muñoz served as a color commentator on Fox Sports' NFL telecasts and has for many years been color commentator for TV broadcasts of Bengals' preseason games.
Since 1992, Muñoz has starred in a series of commercials for the Cincinnati-area furniture store Furniture Fair.
In 2002, the Anthony Muñoz Foundation was created to consolidate Muñoz's charitable activities and encourages area individuals and businesses to "...impact area youth mentally, physically and spiritually". In 2004, Muñoz served on a panel to select the year's recipient of the Walter Payton Award. On November 14, 2012, Allstate dedicated a Hometown Hall of Famers plaque to Muñoz at Chaffey High School. On October 8, 2015, Muñoz received the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI) Medallion of Excellence for his contributions to the Hispanic community.
Muñoz attended a celebrity flag-football game at Candlestick Park, the last event before the demolition of the stadium in 2014. He describes the event:
The final touchdown pass, there were probably 30,000 people in that stadium viewing a bunch of old guys playing a flag football game, but to see (Montana) throw to (DeBartolo) for the final touchdown there and to hear the fans go crazy and to see the admiration from these former players like Ronnie Lott and Joe Montana; that to me was impressive... to me, that's what it's all about.
Muñoz is of Mexican–American descent and met his wife at USC; they married during his sophomore year in 1978. They have two children. His son Michael played offensive lineman at Tennessee where he was an All-America and went undrafted in 2005. His daughter, Michelle, played basketball at Tennessee and later transferred to Ohio State.
Muñoz is a Christian. He has said, “My faith is everything for me in my life, college, my 13 years playing in the NFL. Now that I've been retired from the NFL it continues to be the most important thing in my life.”
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Thomas Franklin McDonald was an American football flanker who played in the National Football League for the Philadelphia Eagles, the Dallas Cowboys, the Los Angeles Rams, the Atlanta Falcons, and the Cleveland Browns. He played college football as a halfback for the Oklahoma Sooners. He is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and College Football Hall of Fame.
McDonald was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the third round of the 1957 NFL draft. As a rookie, he was moved to wide receiver after he replaced an injured Bill Stribling in the ninth game of the season, making a 61-yard reception and a 25-yard receiving touchdown from quarterback Sonny Jurgensen.
He was a part of the team that won the 1960 NFL Championship against Vince Lombardi’s Green Bay Packers. In the contest, he had a 35-yard touchdown reception from quarterback Norm Van Brocklin.
In 1961, he led the NFL in receiving yards (1,144) and touchdowns (13). Against the New York Giants, he had 7 receptions for 237 yards and 2 touchdowns, which still is a franchise single-game record.
On March 20, 1964, he was traded to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for Sam Baker, John Meyers, and Lynn Hoyem.
In 1964, he was switched from flanker to split end, because the Cowboys already had an accomplished flanker in Franklin Clarke and split end Billy Howton had just retired. Looking to improve the receiving corps to help the young quarterback Don Meredith, they also traded with the Pittsburgh Steelers to get Buddy Dial.
In his only season with the club, he registered 46 receptions for 612 yards (13.3 average) and 2 touchdowns (one of them against the Eagles). In 1965, with the emergence of rookie Bob Hayes he was traded to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for placekicker Danny Villanueva on May 14.
McDonald recorded a career-high 67 receptions for 1,036 yards and 9 touchdowns in 1965. He was selected to his last Pro Bowl. In 1967 he was traded to the Atlanta Falcons in exchange for a draft choice.
On September 10, 1968, he was waived following a season with 33 receptions for 436 yards and 4 touchdowns.
In 1968, McDonald was picked up by the Cleveland Browns for whom he caught 7 receptions for 113 yards and one touchdown. With the retirement of Raymond Berry the previous year, McDonald was technically the league's active leader in career receiving yards during the off-season but was surpassed in Game 1 by Don Maynard.
His last NFL game was the 1968 NFL Championship Game against the Baltimore Colts. On March 15, 1969, he announced his retirement from pro football.
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Paul James Krause is an American former football safety who played in the National Football League for the Minnesota Vikings and the Washington Redskins. Gifted with a great frame, speed and range, Krause established himself as a defensive force against opposing wide receivers. He led the league with 12 interceptions as a rookie before going on to set the NFL career interceptions record with 81 and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1998. Krause was selected eight times to the Pro Bowl during his 16 seasons in the NFL.
Krause was drafted in the second round of the 1964 NFL draft by the Washington Redskins. In his rookie season, he led the NFL in interceptions with 12, including interceptions in seven straight games, and was named to the All-NFL first team. He was named to his first of eight Pro Bowls and was second only to teammate Charley Taylor for the NFL Rookie of the Year award.
Although he intercepted 28 passes in his first four seasons with the Redskins, he was traded to the Minnesota Vikings for linebacker Marlin McKeever and a seventh-round draft choice in the 1968 NFL draft.
Krause played with the Vikings until he retired after the 1979 season. During that time, he was one of 11 players to play in all four of the Vikings Super Bowl appearances (Super Bowl IV, VIII, IX, and XI). Krause recorded an interception in Super Bowl IV and a fumble recovery in Super Bowl IX.
Krause was often referred to as the Vikings "center fielder" because of his success as an interscholastic baseball player and his ability to catch interceptions.
He currently holds the all-time interception record in the NFL with 81, which he returned for 1,185 yards and three touchdowns. He set the record in 1979 against the Los Angeles Rams, in the second quarter of a 27-21 overtime loss with his 81st interception coming in the final quarter. The previous record of 79 was held by Emlen Tunnell, another former Hawkeye who played for the New York Giants and the Green Bay Packers from 1948 to 1961.
Krause recovered 19 fumbles, returning them for 163 yards and three touchdowns. Krause only missed two games due to injuries in 16 seasons.
In 1994, Krause was elected to the Board of County Commissioners for Dakota County, Minnesota. He served for twenty years and he did not seek re-election in 2014.
Currently, Krause is involved in real estate development and insurance, and he owns several restaurants, including the Dairy Delite in Lakeville, Minnesota. He previously owned a golf course in Elk River, Minnesota.
Krause was named to the Iowa Sports Hall of Fame in 1985, the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1998, and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota County Sports Hall of Fame on May 7, 2004.
Krause is married to his wife, Pam, and has two daughters, Mandi and Zendi, and one son, Blair.
In 1995, Pam Krause was severely injured in a car accident near their home in Lakeville, Minnesota when she was hit by a truck. She spent five and a half months in a coma, but survived and is recuperating.
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