McDonald Steals Hall of Fame Show

Five-foot-nine receiver Tommy McDonald used to put on quite a show with the Philadelphia Eagles, weaving around tacklers in a green helmet with silver wings.

That was nothing compared to his performance Saturday when McDonald was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame at Canton, Ohio.

“God Almighty, I feel good!” shouted McDonald, football’s smallest but definitely loudest Hall of Famer.

He cracked jokes about his wife and tossed his 25-pound bronze bust around like a football. He talked to his father and Ray Nitschke, whose ghosts he claimed were standing on stage with him.

McDonald trumped that by pulling a radio out of his briefcase and dancing to disco music on the hallowed steps of the hall, live on national television.

His fellow inductees--tackle Anthony Munoz, middle linebacker Mike Singletary, safety Paul Krause and center Dwight Stephenson--received high-fives, chest bumps and a Michael Buffer-like introduction from McDonald, who reminded a bunch of tough football players how important it is to laugh.

“Oh, baby!” McDonald shouted. “Do I look excited, like I just won the lottery or the jackpot? Yes! I’m in the Hall of Fame!”

The class included perhaps the two best to play their positions (Munoz and Stephenson), and Singletary, whose piercing eyes stared down opponents during his 12-year career with the Bears.

There was the humble, soft-spoken Krause, weeping openly as he told of his wife’s recovery from a near-fatal car accident. And Munoz sniffed back sobs after his 17-year-old son--already an inch taller and just as beefy as Dad--gave his presentation speech.

“Most of all, thank you for being a real person, and for knowing how to admit your mistakes,” said Michael Munoz, a 6-7, 320-pound all-state tackle at Cincinnati’s Moeller High. “You have modeled humility.”

The inductions, witnessed by nearly 50 Hall of Famers, brought the hall’s membership to 194.

McDonald stole the show, improvising and scampering around as he did during 12 seasons with Philadelphia, Dallas, the Los Angeles Rams, Atlanta and Cleveland.

“Tommy Mcdonald was a great football player, “ said former Minnesota Viking coach Jerry Burns, who followed McDonald as Krause’s presenter. “But as a former coach, I can see why he played for five different teams.”

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Showing an efficient offense even with backups playing most of the game, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers dominated the Pittsburgh Steelers, 30-6, in the Hall of Fame exhibition game before a sellout crowd of 23,875 at Fawcett Stadium in Canton. The Steelers, without departed linebacker Greg Lloyd to anchor their defense, allowed 342 yards--198 rushing. Leeland McElroy was the leading Buccaneer rusher with 72 yards in nine carries, including a 25-yard touchdown run. Scott Milanovich, battling Steve Walsh to be Tampa Bay’s backup quarterback to Trent Dilfer, passed to rookie wide receiver Jacquez Green for a 53-yard touchdown.

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The New York Jets agreed to terms with former Pro Bowl linebacker Bryan Cox, one day after losing star middle linebacker Marvin Jones to a career-threatening knee injury. The controversial Cox declined to comment, but Coach Bill Parcells said: “Bryan and me are going to talk when he gets here. I have a certain way I want to do things.” . . . Carolina Panther linebacker Lamar Lathon said he is recovering slightly slower than anticipated from knee surgery but plans to return well before the season-opening game against Atlanta. Lathon was put on the physically unable to perform list when the Panthers opened training camp July 24.