During his playing days, no one in the NFL was better. It’s justifiable to consider him as the best offensive lineman ever, and he has conducted his personal and family life in a way that is a great credit to the Bengals and the NFL. Mike Brown, Bengals President
Anthony Muñoz played 13 seasons (1980-92) for the Bengals, and put together a dominant career in that included a team-record 11 Pro Bowls and 11 All-Pro nods. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1998 — his first year of eligibility — and is widely credited for helping to define the art of playing offensive tackle in the modern NFL.
Muñoz originally joined the Bengals as the third overall pick in the 1980 draft, after a decorated career at the University of Southern California. He quickly made his mark as one of the NFL's top offensive linemen, and would become a cornerstone of powerful Bengals offenses that propelled the team to two Super Bowl appearances in the 1980s.
Individually, Muñoz earned at least one major award as NFL Offensive Lineman of the Year in six of his 13 Bengals seasons. And although offensive linemen typically do not compile statistics, his hallmark agility and athleticism are reflected by his seven career catches and four touchdowns while lining up as a tackle-eligible receiver.
Muñoz's impact off the field was akin to that between the lines on Sundays. His long-respected work in the community was recognized in 1991 when he received the NFL's Man of the Year Award, long considered the league's premier honor for off-the-field work.
Though there are other Pro Football Hall of Fame members with some Hispanic ancestry, Muñoz is considered the first player of primarily Hispanic background to enter the Hall. He and his parents both hail from California, however his grandparents are natives of Chihuahua, Mexico.
Muñoz grew up in metro Los Angeles (Ontario, Calif.), but has made his home in Cincinnati since retiring. His outstanding work in the community has continued, and he remains one of the most impactful and recognizable public figures in Greater Cincinnati. Much of his recent community involvement has centered on growing the game of football in the Hispanic community.
A look back at offensive tackle Anthony Muñoz's career with the Bengals.

Cincinnati Bengals Hall of Fame tackle Anthony Munoz (78) watches from the sideline during the NFL Super Bowl XXIII game against the San Francisco 49ers on January 22, 1989, in Miami, Fla.

Pro Football Hall of Famer Anthony Munoz arrives for the Pro Football Hall of Fame group photo on Friday, Aug. 3, 2018 in Canton, Ohio. (Ben Liebenberg via AP)

Anthony Munoz, Hall of Fame Class of 1998, leaves the field after play in 1991. (AP Photo / Al Messerschmidt)

Members of the Cincinnati Bengals offensive line include wide receiver Steve Kreider (86), right guard Max Montoya (65) and left tackle Anthony Munoz (78) during an NFL game early in the football season of 1981. (AP Photo)

Anthony Munoz, Hall of Fame Class of 1998, prepares for the snap during the 1990 AFC Wild Card Playoff Game on January 6, 1991 at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Buffalo Bills safety Mark Kelso (38) mixes it up with Cincinnati Bengals tackle Anthony Munoz (78) during the 1988 AFC Championship Game in Cincinnati, Ohio, on January 8, 1989. The Bengals defeated the Bills 21-10. (AP Photo/Vernon Biever)

AFC Hall of Fame tackle Anthony Munoz of the Cincinnati Bengals visits Children's Hospital before the NFC's 21-15 victory over the AFC in the 1992 NFL Pro Bowl played on February 2, 1992 at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. (AP Photo / Al Messerschmidt)

Hall of Fame tackle Anthony Munoz signs autographs prior to a flag football game between former Cincinnati Bengals, Thursday, Aug. 17, 2000, at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati. The Bengals play their first real game in the new stadium this Saturday against the Chicago Bears. (AP Photo/Al Behrman)

Cincinnati Bengals offensive tackles Anthony Munoz, left, and Mike Obrovac look at a card with a play diagram during a practice at the Silverdome in Pontiac, Mich., Jan. 20, 1982. (AP Photo/Ed Reinke)