Coach Tim Grunhard
was with Chiefs for 11 years
Special to The Gazette
Tim Grunhard’s football life used to revolve around Sunday afternoons.
Now, the former offensive lineman for the Kansas City Chiefs looks forward to the Friday night lights as the head coach of the Bishop Meige Stags. Grunhard will serve as an assistant coach of the East squad in the 2008 Kansas Shrine Bowl.
The roots of Grunhard’s coaching career go back to his days as a center in the middle of the Chiefs offensive line. He had an 11-year NFL playing career, all with Kansas City, playing in 169 games, 12th on the Chiefs’ all-time list. He’s third in the number of total games started for the Chiefs (164), and fourth on the Chiefs all-time list of consecutive games started, taking the field for the Kansas City offense in 120 straight games from 1993 to 2000.
“The last five years I played for the Chiefs I had a great opportunity to work with Will Shields, Brian Waters, Casey Wegman and other young players,” he said. “I found myself coaching a little bit, teaching young players how to watch film and giving themselves the best opportunity to be successful, passing on some of the things I learned from (former Chief) Mike Webster. I loved doing that, and I knew I would get back into the game, but I wasn’t sure at what level. High school has been a great fit.”
Grunhard did not jump directly from the pros to the high school ranks after he retired following the 2000 NFL season.
“After 11 years of pro ball in KC, I was a little burned out on football,” he said. When a friend offered him the opportunity to help coach at St. Pius in North Kansas City, he turned it down. “But the next year he asked me again, and I said yes. It was one of the best decisions I ever made.”
After four years at St. Pius, Grunhard accepted the head coaching position at Overland Park’s Bishop Meige. His 2007 team finished 6-5 and advanced to the quarterfinals of the 5A playoffs before losing to eventual 5A champion Blue Valley West.
Grunhard said people often comment that it must be great for his players to play for a former pro. “I say back to them that it’s a pleasure for me to be able to get back into the game and give something back.”
What has been the best part of coaching?
He said it’s been getting back into football, and the camaraderie with players and coaches, “especially on Friday nights. The best part is working with a bunch of coaches and players that have a common goal to do something special. Football is a great sport, and leading a bunch of young men out onto the field has been a big reward.”
He said he sees the 2008 Shrine Bowl as an opportunity for the East squad to excel. “Kids coming to play in the Shrine Bowl are giving up 10 or 11 days of their summer, as are the coaches,” he said. “I expect to work hard. If we’re going to give up those 10 or 11 days to go to Emporia, we want to win. The East hasn’t won in a couple of years, and one of our goals to make sure the guys are prepared mentally and physically to play a football game and put on a good show”.
The fact that the Kansas Shrine Bowl is an All-Star game for a charitable cause does not dampen Grunhard’s competitive spirit.
“We want to win that football game,” he said.
About the Bowl
Proceeds from all Shrine Bowl events support the Shriners Hospitals for Children, a network of 22 hospitals that provide expert, no-cost orthopedic, burn, and spinal care to children under 18. Children are admitted free to Shriners Hospitals for Children.
Advance reserved chairback tickets for the game cost $20. Adult general admission tickets are $9 in advance. Student tickets (K-12) are $5 in advance.
Other Shrine Bowl events scheduled in Emporia on July 26 include: an open 5K Road Race that includes 60 cross country all-star runners; a one-mile Fun Run/Walk; a giant Shrine parade; an arts and crafts fair; a kids’ fair; a high school combine; a poker run for bikes, autos and trucks; and a free fashion show.
For information or tickets, call the Shrine Bowl office at (800) 530-5524.