May 14, 2013
BERKELEY - Cal football great Chuck Muncie, a member of the Cal Athletic Hall of Fame and one of the finest running backs in school history, passed away from a heart attack Monday at the age of 60.
Muncie capped a tremendous three-year career at Cal as a senior in 1975 when he led the Golden Bears to a share of the Pac-8 title and was the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy, a consensus first-team All-American, the Pac-8 Offensive Player of the Year, winner of the Pop Warner Trophy given to the top senior on the West Coast and a team captain.
"Chuck Muncie, a Cal Hall of Famer, was one of the greatest players in our long history and is a legend among Golden Bear fans," Director of Athletics Sandy Barbour said. "Although it's been nearly 40 years since Chuck suited up for the Cal football program, stories of his accomplishments on the field of play still resonate throughout Memorial Stadium. After he hung up his cleats as a professional, he became an incredible advocate and positive influence on so many youth through his foundation, and he was a familiar face on campus and at Cal football games. All of us in the Cal family are saddened by his sudden and far-too-soon passing, and he will be deeply missed."
At the time he left Cal for the NFL, Muncie held school career records for rushing yards (3,052), rushing touchdowns (32), 100-yard rushing games (15) and all-purpose yards (4,194). His 1,460 rushing yards and 1,871 all-purpose yards in 1975 stood as the most in Cal history for a single season for 29 years, while his 13 rushing touchdowns were the school's single-season record for 16 years.
Through the 2012 season, Muncie still ranks among Cal's all-time career leaders in rushing touchdowns (2nd), 100-yard rushing games (T2nd), touchdowns (T3rd, 37), all-purpose yards (4th), rushing yards (5th) and points (9th, 224).
He is also still third on the school's all-time single-season list in all-purpose yards, fourth in rushing yards and tied for sixth in rushing touchdowns with the totals he registered during the 1975 campaign. He also ran for a single-game career-high 207 yards against Oregon in 1975.
Muncie led Cal in scoring and rushing in three consecutive seasons from 1973-75, as well as in receiving in 1973. He was inducted into the Cal Athletic Hall of Fame in 1995.
Cal's 1975 squad coached by Mike White finished the season ranked No. 14 by AP and No. 15 according to UPI. The Bears posted an 8-3 overall record and were 6-1 in the Pac-8 featuring a high-powered offense that also included quarterback Joe Roth and wide receivers Steve Rivera and Wesley Walker. Cal led the Pac-8 in total offense with an average of 458.5 yards per game that still ranks second in school history. The Bears averaged 252.2 yards per game on the ground, a figure that has been eclipsed by a Cal team on only one occasion since.
"Chuck was a special person," said White, who was the head coach at Cal from 1972-77. "He was one of the kindest, gentlest athletes I've been associated with. I stand as one who wants to make sure the true Chuck Muncie is honored. For all he was and all the turmoil he had to endure, his mission in life was to help people, to help those who didn't have the physical and mental ability he had. He dedicated much of his life to giving opportunities to disadvantaged kids. Lessons he learned made him a tremendous example. This is a sad day for Cal."
Following his collegiate career at Cal, Muncie was selected with the third overall pick in the first round of the 1976 NFL Draft by the New Orleans Saints. He played nine seasons in the NFL with the Saints (1976-80) and San Diego Chargers (1980-84). He was traded from New Orleans to San Diego during the 1980 season and helped lead the Chargers to the second and third of the team's three consecutive AFC West titles from 1979-81. The Chargers would also make the NFL Playoffs with Muncie in 1982.
A three-time All-Pro and Pro Bowl selection (1979, '81, '82), Muncie was selected the Pro Bowl MVP in 1979 as the first Saints' player to ever go to the Pro Bowl. He was also a member of both the San Diego Chargers' 40th and 50th Anniversary Teams.
Muncie finished his NFL career with 6,702 rushing yards and 71 touchdowns on the ground on 1,561 carries. He posted a pair of 1,000-yard rushing seasons during his nine campaigns in the NFL. Muncie had a career-high 1,198 rushing yards in 1979 when he became the first player in Saints' history to rush for 1,000 yards in a single season and 1,144 with a career-high 19 rushing touchdowns with the Chargers in 1981 to lead the NFL. He also had 263 career receptions for 2,323 receiving yards and three scores.
Following his playing career, Muncie dedicated much of his life to youth and community service. He established the Chuck Muncie Youth Foundation, which offers youth mentoring, camps, tattoo removal, immunization for the uninsured, job training and other programs.
