Muncie played college football for the California Golden Bears, setting numerous school records.

He was traded to San Diego in 1980, starring in their high-scoring offense known as Air Coryell while being named to two additional Pro Bowls.

Muncie was born and raised in the Pittsburgh area town of Uniontown, Pennsylvania, as one of six children in a football-playing family.

[2] After seeing many of his relatives suffer from black lung disease and severe burns, Muncie had no desire to work in coal mines or the steel mills.

He was instrumental in Cal's NCAA-leading offense which propelled the team to the co-championship of the Pac-8 in 1975, and he became the first Golden Bear to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated.

He teamed with Saints' second round pick Tony Galbreath to form a backfield dubbed by then-coach Hank Stram as "Thunder and Lightning".

[11] Muncie played in the Pro Bowl after the 1979 season with the Saints and was selected as the Most Valuable Player of the game.

[1] Coming from the tolerant environment in Berkeley, it was a culture shock for Muncie in New Orleans, where his house and car were regularly vandalized by racists despite his living in a nice neighborhood.

[13] With the Chargers, Muncie was selected for the Pro Bowl twice as a member of their high-scoring Air Coryell offense.

[10] However, after missing a bed check and a practice during training camp, he underwent three weeks of additional rehabilitation, and returned for the start of the 1983 season.

[21][23] At the time, he was the NFL's 13th leading rusher of all-time with 6,702 yards;[2] however, the trade was voided after a urinalysis conducted by the Dolphins showed cocaine in his system.

[17] In March 1985, Chargers owner Alex Spanos said Muncie would never play for San Diego again, even if his suspension was lifted.

He started and performed well in the final exhibition game,[24] but he served a one-game suspension in the season opener after failing to attend two aftercare therapy sessions that were one of the conditions of his reinstatement.

[25][26] Muncie retired three days later, citing his need to make his life his first priority and the difficulty with balancing drug rehabilitation with playing football.

[17] The Los Angeles Times wrote that Muncie "was gifted with size, speed and power",[30] while The Miami News said he possessed the strength of a fullback and the elegance of a halfback.

Whenever the Saints broke the huddle, quarterback Archie Manning had to walk by Muncie and tell him exactly what he was supposed to do in the upcoming play.

[4][34][35] He began wearing glasses at Arizona Western, when he wore them at practice one day and realized they improved his nearsightedness.

[34] Decades later in the 2010s, National Basketball Association (NBA) players were considered hipsters for wearing thick black glasses.

In 1989, Muncie was sentenced to 18 months in a federal prison in California after he pleaded guilty to intending to sell 2 ounces (57 g) of cocaine to a friend.

He turned his life around after prison, pursuing business interests and sharing stories of his drug problems with at-risk youths.

[1] The nonprofit organization mentored at-risk youth and provided free medical services, childhood immunizations, tattoo removal for gang members, and camps for chronically ill children.