SOUTH POINT - Anthony Munoz impressed Dan McDavid as a player. McDavid was even more impressed with the Hall of Fame tackle as a speaker.

Munoz,

the former Cincinnati Bengals offensive tackle, spoke to South Point middle and high school students last week thanks to the relationship between him and Pointers assistant football coach Coy Bacon, also a former Bengal.

"(Munoz) was going to speak at Ohio University on Wednesday night, so Coy got him to drive here on Thursday. It worked out well on his schedule," McDavid said.

Besides talking about 45 minutes with the students as a group, Munoz spent an additional 25 minutes speaking to the football team.

McDavid, the Pointers head coach, was impressed.

"Most of those kids didn't know who Anthony Munoz is, but you could have heard a pin drop while he was talking. He told them about his life and he said, 'Don't tell me it can't happen. Don't look me in the eye and tell me it can't be done.' He meant that they could be successful if they want to be," McDavid said.

Munoz grew up in south Los Angeles. Despite a rough childhood, he went on to become an All-American at Southern Cal and was drafted in the first round by the Bengals owner and coach Paul Brown.

"He said the only reason he wasn't scared of the gangs is he had four uncles who ran them," McDavid said. "His father was a heroin addict but his mom worked two and three jobs. He said life was hard, but he persevered and made it."