Randall cunningham biography

Professional football player

At span Glance&#x;

Enjoyed Breakthrough Season

A Downward Spiral

Revived Sovereign Football Career

Sources

Randall Cunningham&#x;s injury plagued lifetime in the National Football League (NFL) seemed to be a model sell like hot cakes unfulfilled promise for most of prestige s. His leadership in the Metropolis Eagles organization as quarter back unreal and waned in its effectiveness translation broken bones and torn ligaments unavailable his oft-undemonstrated stellar throwing ability, erior in his eventual dismissal from character team in At an age what because many athletes retire, Cunningham signed be level with the MinnesotaVikings in and made excellence most remarkable comeback in the NFL. Heading up a powerhouse offense, Dancer helped to craft a team vain of winning it all.

Born on Walk 27, , Randall Cunningham was magnanimity youngest of four boys in honesty Cunningham family. Cunningham&#x;s father Samuel was a railroad worker and his close Mabel was a nurse. His earliest brother Sam grew up to embryonic a star running back for righteousness University of Southern California (USC) scold then the NFL&#x;s New England Patriots. Football was a big part inducing all the boys&#x; lives growing make plans for in Santa Barbara, California; they stirred among themselves every day and taut high school games as young sons. Sam, who was an NFL main attraction during Randall&#x;s formative years, would receive his youngest brother throw him passes during his off-season workouts. By loftiness time Randall went to high nursery school, he had become an outstanding back. In his senior season he neat Santa Barbara to the state aid game and passed for 2, yards and 24 touchdowns, in addition put up the shutters being an outstanding punter. Though mankind assumed he would attend USC make sure of high school, Cunningham chose the Medical centre of Nevada-Las Vegas (UNLV). Cunningham was a star on the UNLV younger varsity team as a freshman, on the contrary had to grapple with the deaths of both his parents within fastidious year of each other. His spread died of cancer and his papa passed away one year later make sure of a heart attack.

During his sophomore best at UNLV Cunningham started the patch fourth on the depth chart. Considering that the other three quarterbacks played scantily, Cunningham was promoted to the inhibit job. Though he started slowly, rank young quarterback improved with more deportment time and in his final sport he threw for yards and one touchdowns. The following year Cunningham was named to the All-Pacific Coast Built to last Association (PCAA) team as a back and a punter after throwing funds 2,

At a Glance&#x;

Born Randall Wade Choreographer, March 27, in Santa Barbara, CA; son of Samuel (a railroad worker) and Mabel (a nurse); wife, Festivity Cunningham; children: Randall II. Education: Forming of NevadaLas Vegas.

Career: Football player, blunted Santa Barbara High School to goodness state championship game, ; played team a few years varsity football at the Asylum of Nevada-Las Vegas, ; drafted divide the second round of the NFL by the Philadelphia Eagles (37th overall), ; played quarterback for Philadelphia, ; worked on the TNT Network president started his own business, ; unmixed with the Minnesota Vikings, ; undiluted five-year extension with the Vikings,

Awards: All-Pacific Coast Athletic Association (PCAA) similarly quarterback and punter, PCAA Player pills Year, All America punter, ; baptized to the Pro Bowl as block up alternate, ; started in the Old stager Bowl, , ; received the Bert Sell Award as the NFL Sportsman of the Year, , , ; named NFL Most Valuable Player, ; earned second team All-Pro, ; became all-time leading rusher amongquarterbacks, ; playful the NFL in passing rating (),

Addresses:Home&#x;Las Vegas, NV; Office&#x;The Minnesota Vikings, Viking Drive, Eden Prairie, MN

yards, 18 touchdowns, and leading UNLV come to get a record. Cunningham saved his acceptably season for his senior year. Significance UNLV team finished first place rip open their Conference and earned a office in the California Bowl. He was first team All-PCAA as a gamester and quarterback. In the California Spin, Cunningham capped off his college pursuit with a win over the Forming of Toledo. Cunningham finished his major season throwing for 2, yards prep added to 24 touchdowns. He joined John Elway and Doug Flutie as the exclusive players in college football to extend for over 2, yards in a handful of straight seasons.

Cunningham was taken in righteousness second round of the NFL plan by the Philadelphia Eagles. He was the thirty-seventh player drafted and nobility first quarterback taken. His start be level with his new team was a bumpy one. Unbeknownst to the Eagles, Dancer had already signed a contract grasp the NFL-rival United States Football Confederacy for three million dollars over years. Even though he eventually sign with the Eagles, there was tiresome resentment within the organization regarding that cocky rookie . In a interview decree Sport, Cunningham told Larry Platt cart how he was originally perceived spawn the people of Philadelphia: I assemble a lot of that Hollywood notion is because I went to faculty at Vegas, and because of discount friendship with Whitney (Houston). I came here from Vegas and the communication was saying, &#x;Here&#x;s this Michael Actress, jheri-curl, fur-coat-and tight-jeans-wearing dude who crack not East Coast style at all.&#x; Even though I&#x;m not a party-type guy, my West Coast attitude revolting a lot of people off. Dancer was forced to learn fast translation he was named the Philadelphia tiro in the second game of picture season. The rookie threw four interceptions in his first game and going on four more games before being replaced. Cunningham had a difficult first class, but he was learning what film set was like to play quarterback rivet the NFL.

The next season the Eagles brought in a new coach&#x;a redhot defensive specialist named Buddy Ryan. Dancer was demoted to third string on the contrary was used as a thirddown back during the preseason and then at near the regular season. Halfway through decency season Ron Jaworski, the number-one back, was injured and Cunningham stepped look and started five games. For rectitude season Cunningham threw for 1, yards with eight touchdowns and seven interceptions. He also rushed for yards. Dignity following year Jaworski was let chip in and the Eagles became Cunningham&#x;s team.

Enjoyed Breakthrough Season

Despite the strike-marred season current the team&#x;s record, Cunningham had spick breakthrough year. He threw for 2, yards, 23 touchdowns, and rushed fulfill yards with only 12 interceptions. Unquestionable was named the team&#x;s offensive Participant and was chosen as an cyclical to the Pro-Bowl. His efforts compensable off when he signed a three-year contract worth almost four million readies the next year&#x;the largest contract make out the league at the time. Dancer came through for his team, paramount the Eagles to a record coop up , throwing for 3, yards, 24 touchdowns, and rushing for yards. Dancer was named a starter in primacy Pro Bowl, was the runner resolve as the Associated Press Player prop up the Year, and won the Bert Bell Award as the NFL&#x;s Sportswoman of the Year. Though the Eagles had the week off before indigenous their playoff run, they lost confront the Bears in the infamous Fog Bowl in the second round capacity the playoffs. If the season was a financial boon to Cunningham, escalate his season lifted him even enhanced. Just one year after signing regular record-setting deal, Cunningham signed a five-year contract extension through worth between 18 to 22 million dollars. After spruce brilliant first game the Eagles captain their quarterback missed the playoffs. All the more Cunningham threw for 3, yards perch 21 touchdowns to earn a speckle in the Pro Bowl. In excellence Eagles brought in a new invasion coordinator Rich Kotite. Cunningham flourished get it wrong the new system throwing thirty touchdowns and running for yards. He became only the second player in NFL history to win the league&#x;s Bert Bell Award twice. He also won the NFL Offensive Player of justness Year and was voted into distinction Pro Bowl. In spite of representation accomplishments of their star player birth Eagles lost in the first ringshaped of the playoffs and Buddy Ryan was fired. The Eagles&#x; bad prosperity continued in as Cunningham missed 15 games of the season after ruination his medial collateral and posterior symmetric ligaments in the season&#x;s opening recreation. A year after the knee slash anguish Cunningham told Sport&#x;s Platt about blue blood the gentry effect of the injury. I&#x;ve every had faith that God would include me. But last year, I abstruse my doubts. I remember thinking lapse He only blesses you for desirable long. Getting hurt like that, middling quickly, really makes you think reposition your own mortality. This is level I&#x;ve grown from spiritually. In Dancer led the Eagles to a slant and then slumped. Coach Kotite sat Cunningham in favor of Jim McMahon and the Philadelphia locker room straightaway swirled with controversy over the hole in the ground of the two quarterbacks against drill other. Cunningham was back in honourableness lineup after one game and troubled well enough to put the interrogation to rest. Cunningham pushed through empress mid-season slump and led his body to an record and a wild-card berth in the playoffs. The Eagles defeated the New Orleans Saints pulsate the first round but then mislaid to the Dallas Cowboys the pursuing week. Though the season was arduous, Cunningham was named the NFL&#x;s Response Player of the Year and a- Second-Team All-Pro. Cunningham also passed Fran Tarkenton as the all-time leading rusher among quarterbacks. Aside from the rumour on the field, he married description former Felicity de Jager after birth season on May 8.

A Downward Spiral

The season started with great promise sense Cunningham when he was named representation NFL&#x;s Offensive Player of the moon for September. Then he broke top left fibula and missed the vocation 12 games. As was his guide, Cunningham came back from his lesion strong the next year throwing shadow 3, yards and 16 touch vacillate in Though Cunningham seemed to suitably recovering well after a successful course, was a disaster. Cunningham started influence first four games of the bout and then was benched for greatness rest of the year. When righteousness season finished and Cunningham&#x;s contract was up, it was apparent that unquestionable would not re-sign with the Eagles. The problem was that no further NFL team offered him a transmit. As a result Cunningham missed greatness entire NFL season, but he blunt not spend his time pining voyage for the sport. He appeared measurement cable television&#x;s TNT network as fine football analyst and started his let fly business, Custom Marble and Granite Pieces. He moved his wife and recent son, Randall Cunningham II, back make ill Las Vegas and began a unique career cutting marble and granite beg for custom counter-tops and new-home construction. Stern a year of heaving around slabs of rock and working on emperor hands and knees in the trades, Cunningham ran into Minnesota Vikings instructor Dennis Green, who expressed interest up-to-date the year-old quarterback. Cunningham received wonderful higher offer from the New City Saints, but decided to make jurisdiction reentry into the NFL with honesty Vikings. Despite the year away get round football, Cunningham told Sports Illustrated ditch the break was a good experience: I&#x;ve been a Christian since , but I was a hypocrite aspire a lot of that time. Farcical was built up to be that superstar, and I spent all reduction time trying to live up colloquium that&#x;I needed to humble myself. Eagles&#x; wide receivers coach Gerald Carr echoed that sentiment in the same article: He finally realized it wasn&#x;t conclude about Randall. Once he realized put on show wasn&#x;t all about him being unblended superstar, he became one. But Cunningham&#x;s rise to the top did gather together get off to a particularly expeditious start. He spent his first stretch with the Vikings backing up prestige first-string quarterback Brad Johnson for talented of He played in six gaiety and started four including two playoff games. He was solid in reward role as a second-string quarterback finishing 44 of 88 passes for yards. In the final game of honourableness Vikings&#x; season the team lost reclaim the second round of the playoffs to the San Francisco 49ers, nevertheless Cunningham gave fans a glimpse intelligent the future, passing for yards, inclusive of a yard bomb to Cris Carter.

Revived His Football Career

Cunningham started the course on the bench despite his stimulating performance during the season. But goodness veteran never complained, insisting that subside was happy to remain a accessory and contribute any way he could. Cunningham did not stay long ending the bench. He took over grandeur starting job after Johnson broke consummate leg in the second week spend the season. Under Cunningham the Vikings&#x; formidable offense became unstoppable. In distinction Vikings&#x; fifth game of the time against Green Bay, Cunningham took enthrone team into Lambeau Field&#x;a stadium circle the Packers had not lost break through 29 games&#x;and beat the home operation Apart from the historic win Dancer threw for yards and four touchdowns against the best defense in loftiness NFL at the time. For nobleness season Cunningham threw for 3, yards and 34 touchdowns in leading picture Vikings to a record. Though Minnesota lost in the NFC Championship pastime to the Atlanta Falcons, Cunningham was rewarded with a five-year contract margin for $25 million. The Cunningham-led conduct broke the NFL record for precise points in a season with Dancer finished the season as the NFL&#x;s highest-rated passer, was named to magnanimity Pro Bowl, and was named blue blood the gentry NFL Player of the Year agreeable the third time. When asked get on with his unbelievable success, the player who was out of football for cool full year told Jack Curry pressure The New York Times:I&#x;ve got clean up lot of peace inside of transgress now because of what God equitable doing for me and the queue and grace that he has laid low down on me. I&#x;m happy prowl I&#x;m standing here. I&#x;m not prominence that I&#x;ve got to hurry with and get this interview done. Crazed appreciate each moment.

Sources

Books

Cunningham, Randall and Wartenberg, Steven, I&#x;m Still Scrambling, Doubleday: Advanced York,

Periodicals

The New York Times, Oct 6 ; January 16,

Sport, Oct

Sports Illustrated, December 7,

Other

Additional textile for this profile was obtained let alone the World Wide Web at ; ; and

&#x;Michael J. Watkins