Former NFL running back Chuck Muncie, whose personal life was tainted by battles with coke addiction and prison, and then resurrected with a commitment to improving the lives of others, died of a heart attack at the age of 60 on Tuesday. The rugged scoring machine will forever be remembered by San Diego Chargers fans as one of the integral pieces of the vaunted “Air Coryell” offense that racked up historical numbers and revolutionized the NFL in the ‘80s.
"I woke up every morning in that cell for 2 1/2 years, looking at myself in the mirror," Muncie said in a ’04 interview with the San Diego Union-Tribune. "I had seen enough.”
"It almost was like an epiphany. I was behind bars, pointing fingers at everybody but myself. I finally realized that I'm in charge, that it's me with the addiction. It's easy to fall off and blame other people. It's your choice."
