KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Former Kansas City Chiefs Pro Bowl center Tim Grunhard was inducted in the Ring of Honor at halftime during a Monday Night Football showdown with the New York Giants on GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
He found out he would be this season’s inductee into the team Hall of Fame, but now it feels real.
“Tonight, when I saw my name up there, it became real,” Grunhard said. “Hearing about it and thinking about it and dreaming about it was awesome. But when that named popped up there and it said ‘T. Grunhard’ — first of all, I was glad they spelled it correctly, which was nice — but that’s when it became real. And I’m still kind of in shock.”
Grunhard, a Chicago native, is the 50th inductee, including the 46th player, to receive the honor. He also served as the pregame ceremonial Drum Honoree.
Grunhard, a second-round pick out of Notre Dame in 1990, spent 11 seasons with the Chiefs from 1990-2000, appearing in 169 games with 164 starts, which ranks fifth in Chiefs history.
He started 120 consecutive games from the start of the 1993 season through October 2000, the fourth-longest streak in franchise history.
Grunhard, who played center, was selected for the Pro Bowl in 1999 and helped Kansas City reach the playoffs seven times.
"In 11 seasons with the club, Tim was a stalwart on one of the most talented offensive line groups in franchise history," Chiefs Chairman and CEO Clark Hunt said in a statement announcing the honor in May. “Known for his toughness and grit, Tim helped pave the way for Marty Schottenheimer's physical running attack that was a staple of Chiefs football in the 1990s.”
Grunhard won a national championship with the Fighting Irish in 1988 and helped the Chiefs reach the 1994 AFC Championship Game.
A popular figure in sports talk radio during his career and afterwards, Grunhard serves on the board for the Third and Long Foundation.
He coached Kansas City high school powerhouse Bishop Miege from 2006-11 before spending two seasons at the University of Kansas.
Grunhard returned to the Stags in 2014, serving as the offensive line coach and run-game coordinator. He was inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 2016.
