Sam Cunningham

Samuel Lewis Cunningham Jr (August 15, 1950 – September 7, 2021), nicknamed "Bam", was an American professional football player who was a fullback for 10 seasons with the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the USC Trojans, where he earned first-team All-American honors and was the MVP of the 1973 Rose Bowl.

Selected in the first round of the 1973 NFL draft by the Patriots, Cunningham became the franchise's all-time leading rusher. He was inducted to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2010. The same year, he was also inducted to the Patriots Hall of Fame.

Early life

Cunningham was born on August 15, 1950, in Santa Barbara, California to Samuel Sr. and Zoe (Ivory) Cunningham. His father was a railroad worker, and his mother died when Cunningham was young. He was later raised by his father and stepmother Mabel (Crook) Cunningham, who was a nurse. Cunningham had three brothers, including future NFL star Randall Cunningham.

He attended Santa Barbara High School. Wearing number 39 for the Dons, he scored 39 touchdowns as a fullback, while also playing linebacker. He was also known in high school for genuineness, honesty, and decency as a human being. He once had a 4 ft 10 in (1.47 m) teammate who was being mercilessly bullied, until Cunningham announced to the team that the bullies would have to go through Cunningham first if they wanted to go after his teammate, an event that changed the smaller teenaged boy's life.

College career

Cunningham was recruited to the University of Southern California (USC) by future College Football Hall of Fame coach John McKay.

Cunningham was a letterman for University of Southern California's football team from 1970 through 1972 where he played fullback. Cunningham was legendary for leaping over the top of his offensive line, fearlessly launching himself over the pile of offensive and defensive lineman as they collided during the play, and then landing in the end zone for touchdowns. His nickname "Bam" came from these goal line dives. McKay wanted him at fullback instead of tailback for this reason. His brother Randall's son, Randall Cunningham II, is a two time high jump champion at USC, and his niece Vashti Cunningham is an international, medal winning, high jump competitor.

He was named an All-American in 1972, and was a captain of USC's 1972 12–0 national championship team. He scored four touchdowns in the 1973 Rose Bowl, which is still the modern-day Rose Bowl record, and was named Player of the Game. He was inducted into the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame in 1992 the USC Athletics Hall of Fame in 2001, and into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2010. The 1972 team included four other College Hall of Fame players, Anthony Davis, Lynn Swann (also in the NFL Hall of Fame), Richard Wood, and Charle Young, and is considered one of the all-time great college teams.

Over three years, he rushed for 1,541 yards, averaging 4.7 yards per attempt, and scoring 19 touchdowns. He had another two touchdowns on 34 pass receptions, while totaling 301 receiving yards. Cunningham played in the 1973 Hula Bowl, College All-Star Game and Coaches All-America Game.

Like his teammates in high school, Cunningham's USC teammates found him humble and sociable, and a person who always told the truth.

1970 game between USC and Alabama

In 1970, he was part of USC's "all-black" backfieldthe first one of its kind in Division I (NCAA) historythat included quarterback Jimmy Jones and running back Clarence Davis. He had a notable debut performance (135 yards, two touchdowns) against an all-white University of Alabama football team, as USC beat Alabama 42–21 in Birmingham on September 12, 1970. His performance in the game was reportedly a factor in convincing the University of Alabama and its fans to let Coach Bear Bryant integrate Southern football. Jerry Claiborne, a former Bryant assistant, said, "Sam Cunningham did more to integrate Alabama in 60 minutes than Martin Luther King Jr. did in 20 years." Cunningham himself considered the game a "'tipping point'" in bringing civil rights to sports, and Alabama coach Bryant conceded to Grambling State University coach Eddie Robinson the effect of Cunningham's performance on the need to integrate at Alabama.

Professional career

Cunningham was drafted by the Patriots in the first round of the 1973 NFL draft (11th overall). The Patriots also selected Alabama guard, and future hall of famer, John Hannah with the fourth pick in the same draft, who would block for Cunningham for the fullback's entire Patriots career.

He rushed for 516 yards as a rookie, a then record for Patriots rookies. In only his second year, 1974, Cunningham gained 811 yards and nine touchdowns as he led the New England Patriots to a surprising 5–0 start before faltering to a 7–7 finish. In 1977, he gained a career-high 1,015 yards and scored four touchdowns, and also caught 42 receptions for 370 yards and a touchdown. He played his entire career (1973–1982) with the Patriots and was a 1978 Pro Bowl selection. Cunningham was an integral part of the 1978 Patriots, who set an NFL record for rushing yards as a team with 3,165. This record stood for more than forty years and was not broken until the 2019 Baltimore Ravens.

He did not play in 1980 because of a contract dispute with the Patriots, who traded him to the Miami Dolphins. After failing a physical examination, he returned to the Patriots before the 1981 season started.

Cunningham finished his career with 5,453 rushing yards, 210 receptions for 1,905 yards, and 49 touchdowns. As of 2024, he remains the all-time Patriots rushing leader. He is second in team history in rushing touchdowns (43), and fifth in scoring among non-kickers, with all four of those players ahead of him being pass receivers.

Cunningham was the 2010 Inductee to the Patriots Hall of Fame.

NFL career statistics

Personal life

After retirement, Cunningham moved to Inglewood, California with his wife Cine, and they raised a daughter, Samahndi. He had a landscaping business.

He was the older brother of former University of Nevada Las Vegas and NFL quarterback Randall Cunningham, and uncle of Randall Cunningham II and world champion high jumper Vashti Cunningham. He and his brother Randall Cunningham are among eight sets of brothers selected to College Football Hall of Fame.

Death

Cunningham died on September 7, 2021, at the age of 71.

References

External links

New England Patriots bio
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Cunningham, Sam
1950 births
2021 deaths
American football fullbacks
New England Patriots players
USC Trojans football players
American Conference Pro Bowl players
College Football Hall of Fame inductees
Players of American football from Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara High School alumni