New NFL rules enforcer Jon Runyan had a reputation when he played for pushing those rules to the limit.
And one of the guys he used to push thinks that might be good for the league.
Former Chargers pass-rusher Shawne Merriman said he approved of Runyan’s appointment to the league staff to handle on-field discipline, even though the two had their share of wars.
“I think it’s great,” Merriman said, via Jarrett Bell of USA Today. “And this is coming from a guy who at one time did not like him. He’s hard-nosed. And fair. I think he’ll be able to come down on people when he has to. And he won’t worry about being criticized.”
Merriman got to know Runyan as a teammate late in his career, joking that the veteran tackle wasn’t dirty by the time he joined the Chargers.
“He was old,” Merriman cracked. “He didn’t have the mobility to be dirty.”
But in addition to his on-field gravity, Merriman thinks Runyan’s experience on Capitol Hill (two terms as a U.S. Representative from New Jersey) will make him a good fit for the league’s discipline job.
“He’s prepared to do this,” Merriman said. “And one thing about being in Congress: As a politician, you’ve got to be able to see both sides.”
Considering Runyan used to push the lines of those sides as a player, it will be fascinating to see how he handles the job of policing them now.
