| No. 31, 25, 36[1] | |
|---|---|
| Position | Defensive back |
| Personal information | |
| Born | (1952-05-03)May 3, 1952 (age 73) Fort Pierce, Florida, U.S. |
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Weight | 215 lb (98 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Fort Pierce Central |
| College | Indian Hills CC (1972) Nebraska (1973–1975) |
| NFL draft | 1976: 4th round, 112th overall pick |
| Career history | |
| |
| Awards and highlights | |
| |
| Stats atPro Football Reference | |
Wonderful Terrific Monds Jr. (born May 3, 1952) is an American former professionalfootball player who was adefensive back for one season with theSan Francisco 49ers of theNational Football League (NFL). He playedcollege football for theNebraska Cornhuskers, earning first-teamAll-American honors his senior year in 1976. He was selected by thePittsburgh Steelers in the fourth round of the1976 NFL draft but instead signed with theToronto Argonauts of theCanadian Football League (CFL) after receiving a better offer. After spending the beginning of the 1976 season on the injured list, Monds was cut by Toronto and signed by theOttawa Rough Riders. He helped the Rough Riders win the64th Grey Cup later that year. After two years in Ottawa, he played in all 16 games for the San Francisco 49ers in 1978 as a backup defensive back. Monds rejoined the Rough Riders in 1979 and retired after the season. He was inducted into the Nebraska Football Hall of Fame in 2001. He has also attracted attention due to his unique name.
Wonderful Terrific Monds Jr. was born on May 3, 1952, inQuitman, Georgia, and raised inFort Pierce, Florida.[1][2] While growing up in theprojects, his family once lived in an apartment where they had to share a bathroom with neighbors.[3] Another house they lived in was so hot during summertime that Monds had to soak his bedsheets with water.[3]
Monds was an artist, which caused him to be called a "sissy" by other kids.[4] He later said "I was always getting in fights to prove I wasn't a sissy. I figured if I was going to have to fight all the time I might as well play football."[4] His mother initially did not want him to play football due to the risk of injury but later gave him permission.[4] Monds played two years ofhigh school football atFort Pierce Central High School and earned all-state honors.[1][5][6]
After graduating from Central High, Monds enrolled atIowa State University to playcollege football for theIowa State Cyclones.[2] He had also received a scholarship offer from a Minnesota art school.[3] Monds left Iowa State before ever playing for the Cyclones.[2] After spending a year at home in Fort Pierce, Monds played football atIndian Hills Community College in 1972 as arunning back.[2][1][7] He then transferred to theUniversity of Nebraska–Lincoln, where he was a three-yearletterman on defense for theNebraska Cornhuskers from 1973 to 1975.[1][7] He played alinebacker/safety hybrid position known as "monster back" and also spent time on thekickoff coverage team.[8][9] Monds grew his trademark afro while at Nebraska in order to stand out.[3] He posted seven solotackles and eight assisted tackles in 1973.[6]
As ajunior in 1974, Monds totaled 15 solo tackles, 16 assisted tackles, twointerceptions, twopass breakups, and onefumble recovery, earningAssociated Press second-teamAll-Big Eight honors.[6][10] In 1975, he recorded 17 solo tackles, 17 assisted tackles, two pass breakups, one fumble recovery, and one blocked kick.[6] For his performance during the 1975 season, Monds was named first-team All-Big Eight by both the AP andUnited Press International, and a first-teamAll-American by theFootball Writers Association of America.[11][12][13] He had wanted tomajor in art at Nebraska but his counselor advised that would take a lot of classwork and might interfere with football.[5] He instead majored in English.[5][7] Monds was inducted into the Nebraska Football Hall of Fame in 2001.[14]
Monds was selected by thePittsburgh Steelers in the fourth round, with the 112th overall pick, of the1976 NFL draft.[15] However, in late April 1976, Monds instead signed a three-year contract with theToronto Argonauts of theCanadian Football League (CFL) because they offered him more money.[16][2] The deal also included asigning bonus.[17] Monds later stated "Goodness, it was a big helluva difference. I could have played 2.5 years or three years in the NFL and made more money than that after one year in Canada."[2] After beginning the 1976 season on the team's disabled list, he was cut by the Argonauts in mid August.[17][18]
Monds was then signed by the CFL'sOttawa Rough Riders in August 1976 after cornerbackMerl Code suffered an injury.[18] Monds dressed in nine games for Ottawa as acornerback during the 1976 season and intercepted four passes for 58 yards.[1][19] He also missed some time due to injury as the Rough Riders finished the year with a 9–6–1 record.[20][19] He was activated in time for theEastern final against theHamilton Tiger-Cats, which Ottawa won by a score of 17–15.[19][20] The Rough Riders advanced to the64th Grey Cup, where they beat theSaskatchewan Roughriders by a margin of 23–20.[20] Monds dressed in 15 games in 1977, recording one interception, as the team finished 8–8 and lost in the Eastern final.[1][21] He did not re-sign with the Rough Riders due to a contract dispute.[2] Monds said Ottawa did not offer him enough money because the team's general manager did not consider defensive backsskill positions.[2]
Monds signed with theSan Francisco 49ers of the NFL on June 1, 1978.[1] He fractured his wrist intraining camp.[7] He played in all 16 games (no starts) for the 49ers during the 1978 season as a backup safety and cornerback.[15][7] The 49ers finished the season with a 2–14 record.[22] Monds was released on July 12, 1979.[1]
On July 26, 1979, Monds was signed to a five-day trial by the Rough Riders afterKenny Downing broke a cheek bone.[23] Monds dressed in six games for Ottawa that year and intercepted one pass.[1] He was released in mid September, and retired from football after the 1979 season.[24][2]
In 1980, Monds became an assistant football coach at his alma mater, Fort Pierce Central.[2] At the age of 30, he fulfilled a childhood dream of his by buying his parents a house in Fort Pierce.[3] He later worked as a school teacher, and also program supervisor at the 10th Street Recreation Center in EastStuart, Florida.[3] Monds has three sons: Wonderful Terrific Monds II (born 1973) who playedMinor League Baseball,Mario Monds (born 1976) who played in the NFL, and a second son named Wonderful Terrific Monds II (born 1992) who played college football atBuffalo andFIU.[3][25][26][27] His grandson, Wonderful Monds IV, is a high school football quarterback in the class of 2028.[28].
According to family lore, Monds's grandfather, who had fathered 11 daughters, had stated "Wonderful! Terrific!" after seeing his first son (Wonderful Monds Sr.).[3][7] The name was then passed down to Wonderful Monds Jr.[3] However, in 1975, Monds said "My grandfather died when I was real young and I've never really talked to my grandmother about it."[5] Monds said he was going to visit his family in Georgia after the 1975 college football season and "find out how the hell she came about calling my father Wonderful."[5] He was later told that amidwife who had helped his grandmother achieve ahome birth said "This is wonderful."[3] In 2004, Monds said he never found out where his middle name of "Terrific" came from but suspected that his mother came up with it.[3]
Growing up, Monds said he was teased, and punched, by other boys for his name.[5][3] He also had his shoes stolen.[3] He said it took him a while to "get used to" his name but that he later "learned to love it", stating "It made me stronger because I've had to defend myself and my name at times."[5] Monds also said "I used to walk down the street and somebody would say, 'I wonder if it's going to rain' and I'd look up, thinking somebody was talking to me. Anytime somebody said wonder in a sentence, I'd look around."[7]