Top 100 NFL Running Backs - #57: Chuck Muncie

Chuck Muncie

Teams

New Orleans Saints (1976-1980)

San Diego Chargers (1980-1984)

Playoffs

Appearances - 3 (1980,1981,1982)

Conf Champ Games - 2 (1980,1981)

Super Bowls - 0

Championships - 0

Awards and Honors

Pro Bowl - 3 (1979,1981,1982)

All-Time Ranks

Rushing Touchdowns - #32

Rushing Yards - #73

Yards per Rush - #86

Rushing Yards per Game - #86

Total Touchdowns - #95

League Leads

Rushing Yards (#7-1979, #9-1981)

Rushing Touchdowns (#1-1981, #4-1982, #5-1983, #6-1979, #9-1977)

Yards per Rush (#2-1979, #3-1980, #9-1981)

Rushing Yards per Game (#9-1979,1981)

Total Touchdowns (#1-1981, #4-1982, #6-1983)

Scrimmage Yards (#8-1979)

Yards per Touch (#8-1980, #9-1979)

As a senior at Cal, Chuck Muncie rushed for 1460 yards and 13 touchdowns, and finished #2 in voting for the Heisman Trophy, then was drafted by the New Orleans Saints with the #3 overall pick in the 1976 NFL Draft.

Muncie came on slowly through his first few seasons in the league, but finally busted out in 1979, when he rushed for 1198 yards and 11 touchdowns, becoming the first Saint to ever exceed 1000 yards in a season, and also the first in team history to be named to the Pro Bowl.

During his time with the Saints, he was frequently late for team meetings and practices, and he finally wore out his welcome early in the 1980 season, and the team traded him to San Diego. He immediately made an impact for the Chargers, and they reached the AFC Championship game in each of his first two seasons with the team. He played well in both playoff runs, but they fell a step short of the Super Bowl each time.

He had his best overall season in 1981, when he rushed for 1144 yards and a league-leading 19 touchdowns. He had 120 yards and a touchdowns in their first playoff game, and another 94 yards in the conference championship game loss.

After the 1982 season, a former teammate revealed that he and Muncie were frequent users of cocaine. He spent several weeks in rehab, but still played most of the 1983 season, though his performance dropped off noticeably. Before the second game of the next season, Muncie missed the team's flight, and the team traded him away to the Miami Dolphins.

That trade was voided after he failed a drug test upon arriving in Miami, and he ended up receiving an indefinite suspension from the league. He was reinstated in 1985 and traded to the Vikings, but ended up being suspended again after skipping required therapy sessions related to his rehab. He decided to retire to focus on getting clean. It took many years and a stint in prison, but by the early 1990s, Muncie was clean, and spent the rest of his life helping mentor youth.

Muncie was extremely talented, but his personal demons kept him from reaching his full potential. He still managed to have several very good seasons in the NFL, and for several years held the record for most rushing touchdowns in a season. Though he should have been better, he still did enough to be ranked among the best to ever play the game.