Kornacki: Jon Runyan Jr. Chooses Michigan Tradition
2/5/2015 12:00:00 AM | Football
By Steve Kornacki
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Jon Runyan (1992-95) developed into an All-America offensive tackle at Michigan and went on to play in two Super Bowls and one Pro Bowl during 14 seasons as a dominating blocker for the Tennessee Titans and Philadelphia Eagles.
He was a terror in the trenches, and a 2008 survey of NFL players determined that one of the scariest things to encounter in a game was Runyan, agile at 6-foot-7 and 330 pounds, blocking you on a screen pass in the open field.
Runyan was a unique and elite athlete for sure, earning all-state honors in basketball and becoming a two-time state shot put champion at Flint Carman-Ainsworth. But he learned more than technique and tenacity as a Wolverine. Performing public service and giving back is something Runyan realized the importance of while playing for Michigan head coaches Gary Moeller and Lloyd Carr.
When I asked Runyan, who finished his term as a New Jersey Congressman in the U.S. House of Representatives in December, where the seed was planted on becoming a public servant, he pointed to one very specific moment.
"I was at Mott Children's Hospital on the pediatric cancer floor, and there was a mother of one of the children sitting there crying," Runyan recalled. "She said, 'My son's been in here 90 days, and this is the first time I've seen him smile.'
"The hair on the back of my neck stands up just thinking about that again. That's the moment that addicts you to service."
It won't be long before Jon Daniel Runyan Jr. visits the same hospital with Wolverines teammates after moving to Ann Arbor in June. He was the first commitment to Michigan's Class of 2015 as a sophomore at St. Joseph's Prep in Philadelphia and remained firm on the Wolverines even before Jim Harbaugh replaced Brady Hoke as head coach.
"My son understands the tradition of Michigan and what it stands for on and off the field," said Runyan, 41.
Jon Jr. said, "The greatest tradition that Michigan has is developing young high school kids into Michigan men. And they are always winning championships. They've won 11 national championships, and I want to be part of that tradition."
Runyan, 6-4 and 275 pounds, is a three-star recruit rated the No. 2 offensive guard in Pennsylvania by Scout.com.
"He's big enough to play on the offensive line right now," said his father. "But he won't turn 18 until August and will have the ability to carry 300 pounds in time."
Runyan will have more time to take in his son's games since opting against running for another term in New Jersey's 3rd Congressional District, which stretches from the Philadelphia suburbs to the Jersey shore.
"My hope is to get into sports broadcasting," said Runyan, who did a Sunday night television spot and was on a sports talk radio show while playing for the Eagles.
There were a number of reasons why Runyan opted not to run again. The frustrations of "trying to get things done" in the face of partisan politics impacted Runyan, but a conversation with his youngest daughter, Bella, 12, might have been the turning point.
Bella made a point with Dad that literally hit home during a family reunion in the coastal Florida Panhandle town of Destin.
"Bella said, 'I don't want you to leave to go to (Washington) D.C., Dad,'" recalled Runyan. "I asked, 'Now or forever?' And she said, 'Forever.'
"There's only a short amount of time you spend with your children. My dad worked the second and third shifts at General Motors in Flint. He'd ride a motorcycle to work, and I'd hear it when he got home at 11 p.m. I'd run to the garage to say, 'Hi,' and we'd talk for a bit, before he went to bed before doing it all again the next day.
"But Dad did what he had to do to keep the lights on in the house."
Runyan's financial success as a pro athlete allowed him to make a different decision where family time was concerned.
"I spent eight to 10 days a month in D.C.," said Runyan, whose family lives across the Delaware River from Philadelphia in Laurel, New Jersey. "But I had to do the job when I was home and fundraise for my campaign."
Running as a Republican one year after ending his NFL career with the San Diego Chargers in 2009, Runyan defeated Democratic incumbent John Adler for his seat in Congress, and two years later was re-elected by a wide margin.
His mantra while in office: "Let's shoot straight and use common sense."
Runyan said, "I was heavily involved in the non-profit sector when I was still playing in the NFL. And when I was done playing, I had a great opportunity to get involved. Each of us brings something unique to office. I didn't spend five years studying law at Harvard, but I could look at our country through a different set of glasses.
"This is one of the most diverse countries in the world, and yet a lot of those serving are not diverse. If everyone was coming into government with different perspectives, we'd have a lot better situation."
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Runyan had been serving on three key congressional committees: House Armed Services, Veterans Affairs and Natural Resources. He also was on the Tactical Air and Land and Seapower and Protection Forces subcommittees. Runyan was chairman of the subcommittee on disability assistance and memorial affairs.
He focused on the needs of military members while protecting the jobs and mission of those serving at McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, a joint base for the Air Force, Army and Navy located in his district.
"There are 44,000 employed at the base," Runyan said. "It is the second-largest employer in the state of New Jersey and a great asset. The vast majority of troop deployment occurs there. The National Guard is there, too, and we train a lot of warriors there.
"As a member of sports teams and working with the military, the structures are a lot alike. Only one deals in arms and the other in entertainment."
One of the stand-alone bills Runyan was proudest of supporting was the Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act.
"You know, when I was a called a '14-year veteran of the NFL' it made me feel uneasy,"
Runyan said. "I reserve the term 'veteran' for people who served in the military. What we did was a game; what they do is life and death."
One of Runyan's last acts in office was meeting Gov. Chris Christie at the military base to brief him for a December visit by President Barack Obama.
Runyan received the 2012 Ford-Kinnick Leadership Award from the Big Ten Conference. The award is named for President Gerald Ford, a standout football player at Michigan, and Iowa's 1939 Heisman Trophy winner Nile Kinnick, who died as a U.S. Navy aviator during World War II.
"While attending the University of Michigan," said Runyan upon receiving the award, "I learned the core principles and values that have served as the foundation of my career and ultimately led to the privilege of serving in the United States Congress."
Runyan told me, "I thought, 'You are giving me an award? I just did my job.' As an offensive lineman, I just did my job and didn't get noticed. So, to be recognized by the conference was special. It was a great honor. The thanks are few and far between."
He said playing at Michigan and in the NFL gave him a chance to prove himself against the best.
"My biggest challenge was blocking (New York Giants Hall of Famer) Michael Strahan three times a year and facing (Illinois All-American) Simeon Rice in college," Runyan said. "That was your test right there. That's what I remember. And it's personally gratifying to say I held my own with them."
Runyan sees one great constant at Michigan, and it began with Coach Bo Schembechler, who Runyan got to know while playing for the Wolverines.
"They turn boys into young men at Michigan," said Runyan, "and that's the essence of Bo. They create a team and a community, and our society as a whole runs away from that.
"Bo said, 'Those who stay will be champions!' He would kick your ass along the way, but if you stuck around you became a champion. And what he meant by that was that all he wanted was your all, and that's what we gave."
It was a lesson Runyan continued growing from in the NFL and Congress, and now his son is stepping up to that challenge. The Runyans are what the Michigan Legacy is all about.
