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Years later, Monster Pass Right still brings a smile to Matt Dunigan’s face.
He was a kid at St. Raphael’s, a catholic school in Bay Village, Oh., and getting his first taste of football; the future hall-of-fame quarterback was still just a speedy receiver.
His quarterback’s name was Ricky Nauman, and the duo made magic when they were on the same wavelength.
“Ricky had a big arm and I could scoot,” remembered Dunigan. “I knew if I got on the horse and beat the defender, the ball was coming my way.”
Those touchdown passes — thrown in the fifth grade, for a team coached by a man named George Hurrell — left an indelible mark on Dunigan.
“That’s where it started, with the pillars (of life): Family, faith, food and football,” explained Dunigan. “On a game day, it was all those smells and things combined; sitting in church, looking at my dad’s watch and counting the time because you wanted to get home and throw the football around before the games started.
“They were all connected. You’re with family on Sundays, you’re gathered around food, and either watching or playing it.”
Naturally, the young kid who would turn into a 43,857-yard, hall-of-fame quarterback much preferred playing over watching.
“When the game was on, I couldn’t stand to sit and watch it — I’d go and play it myself,” laughed Dunigan. “You tried to mimic those guys on TV, and outside you went. We’d play all frickin’ day long.”
High-school games were a centrepiece in Bay Village, a community 15 miles west of Cleveland.
“Every (week) in Bay Village, we would walk to the high-school football stadium (and) it was a parade,” remembered Dunigan. “People all over the streets, walking to the game. Then, while the game was going on, I was in back of one of the end zones having a pickup game with all the other kids.”
Tied into early experiences with football in both Bay Village and Cleveland proper was the theme of food (and the occasional adult beverage). In a video for Dunigan’s 2006 induction into the hall-of-fame — created by the Saint-Marche family, he is quick to add — footage of late-1960s Cleveland Browns games brought back the memories.
“I told them that I remembered going to Cleveland Brown games with my parents, walking through the flats, and they were carrying their liquor suitcases or satchels,” said Dunigan. “Once you got to the stadium, mom and dad pop open the briefcase and everybody’s watching football.
“The Saint-Marches had a production company and it was putting together the vignettes of the players going in. The footage they were able to capture and put up really resonated.”
RELATED: Dunigan on growing up going to Browns games
Once the family moved to Texas, to a house two blocks from the Dallas Cowboys practice facility, his love affair with football grew.
“I was really influenced growing up in the same neighbourhood the Cowboys players lived in,” said Dunigan. “I’d dumpster dive: I still have a pair of Walt Garrison cleats that I snagged in the early 70’s. I had tremendous experiences with Roger Staubach.”
The lessons of a childhood split between Ohio and Texas stayed with him throughout his football journey; from Lake Highlands High School in suburban Dallas, to Louisiana Tech where he was a three-year starter, and through 14 professional seasons in Canada, his pillars — family, faith, football and food — never wavered.
Promotional photo of Dunigan with the team of top-notch chefs from Gusto TV’s Road Grill. (BellMedia photo)
Mango Habanero Grilled Shrimp
Ingredients
Marinade and Sauce
2 habanero chilies seeded chopped
2 green onions roughly chopped
1 clove garlic finely chopped
1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh ginger
3 peeled and pitted mangos roughly chopped
¼ cup roughly chopped cilantro leaves
1 cup rice wine vinegar
Juice of 2 limes
1 pinch Salt to taste
Shrimp
1 lb(s) fresh shrimp peeled and de-veined (Approximately 20 whole shrimp tail on)
20 skewers soaked in cool water for 30 minutes
Olive oil for brushing
Directions
Marinade and Sauce
1. To prepare marinade, place the habanero chilies, green onion, garlic, ginger and mango in a blender or food processor. Blend mixture until smooth.
2. Turn off the blender and add the cilantro and rice wine vinegar to the mixture.
3. Pulse in blender until ingredients are evenly combined. Add salt to taste.
4. Reserve 1 cup (250ml) of marinade for basting and dipping and set aside until later.
Shrimp
1. Place the shrimp in a sealable plastic bag, pour marinade over the shrimp and toss to coat. Let shrimp marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
2. Remove shrimp from marinade and thread 2 shrimp on to each soaked bamboo skewer. Drizzle shrimp skewers with olive oil and season with salt.
3. Prepare barbecue to medium high heat 375F (190C).
4. Rub or spray your grill with oil to help prevent sticking to the grill grates.
5. Place a sheet of foil down on the heated grill. Then place the shrimp on the grill while leaving the sticks over the foil to prevent burning.
6. Grill shrimp for one minute or until nicely caramelized and charred. Flip shrimp and baste with the reserved sauce set aside earlier.
7. Shrimp will be done when they turn pink and opaque. Remove shrimp skewers from grill and serve with left over basting sauce.
