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For former United States Representative Randall "Duke" Cunningham, see Duke Cunningham. Randall Cunningham (born March 27, 1963 in Santa Barbara, California) is a former American football player, at the position of quarterback. After attending the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, he was selected in the second round of the 1985 draft by Philadelphia Eagles, with whom he remained through the 1995 season. During the latter years his relations with Ray Rhodes, then the Eagles' head coach, became strained, and he announced his retirement from football following the end of that season, taking a job as an analyst for TNT in 1996. The following year, however, he resumed his playing career, with the Minnesota Vikings from 1997 through 1999, the Dallas Cowboys in 2000, and the Baltimore Ravens in 2001 before retiring for good. He won the NFL MVP award in 1990, the height of the 'Ultimate Weapon' stories, and again after his comeback with Minnesota in 1998.
High School Years Cunningham attended Santa Barbara High School. As a senior, he led his team to a League title and the CIF Finals. Philadelphia Eagles Cunningham was the Eagles second-round pick in 1985. In his rookie season he played sparingly as a backup to veteran Ron Jaworski but made a big splash with his uncanny scrambling ability, though he completed just 34 percent of his passes and threw just one touchdown against eight interceptions. In 1986, new head coach Buddy Ryan arrived in Philadelphia and made wholesale changes, many of them unorthodox. At the quarterback position, Ryan designated 35-year-old Ron Jaworski the starter but would replace the aging veteran with the fleet-footed Cunningham in third-and-long situations where the youngster’s scrambling would presumably put the defense on its heels. After a hand injury to Jaworski in week 10, Cunningham would replace him as the Eagles’ starter. Cunningham was permanently handed the Eagles' starting job for the 1987 season. Cunningham would occasionally exhibit sensational feats of athleticism, perhaps most notably in a 1988 game on Monday Night Football against the New York Giants. Linebacker Carl Banks torpedoed in and crunched the Eagles quarterback at the midriff for a seemingly sure tackle. Cunningham managed to twist his body in midair, put a hand down for balance while parallel to the ground, regain his footing, and pass to tight end Jimmie Giles for a touchdown. The following season, Cunningham uncorked a 91-yard punt, aided by a strong Meadowlands wind, on third down to clinch a key game against the Giants. The Giants defense was unprepared for the punt, allowing it to bounce for more than 20 yards after it landed. As of 2006, it is the fourth-longest punt in NFL history. Another highlight staple was in a 1990 game against the Buffalo Bills, when Cunningham, throwing from his end zone, was about to be engulfed from the blind side by Bruce Smith. Cunningham ducked under the flying tackle and heaved a pass 60 yards off his back foot to wide-receiver Fred Barnett, resulting in an unforgettable 95-yard touchdown. That same year, Cunningham finished with 942 rushing yards, 2nd most ever for a quarterback, 10th best in the league. This nearly made him the first quarterback to both run and pass for 1,000 yards in a season. Minnesota Vikings While with the Vikings, he orchestrated two late touchdown drives which enabled Minnesota to defeat the New York Giants in an NFC wild-card game in 1997, also on the road. The following year, he guided the Vikings to a 15-1 regular season record (tied for best ever since the 16-game NFL season was initiated) with 34 touchdown passes and only 10 interceptions. The Vikings set the single-season points record, as Randall threw for more than 3,700 yards and achieved an astounding 106 quarterback rating. Cunningham was voted to his fourth Pro Bowl, and Minnesota dominated the league, before falling to the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC Championship game. Cunningham finished his career in 2002 with 2,429 of 4,289 completions for 29,997 yards and 204 touchdowns, with 134 interceptions. He also rushed for 4,928 yards and 35 touchdowns. He retired as the NFL's all-time leader in rushing yards for the quarterback position. After retirement After retirement, Cunningham returned to UNLV to finish his college degree. Cunningham has also been active in the music business since his retirement from the NFL by opening a recording studio and producing a musical group. Cunningham, a born again Christian, became an ordained Protestant minister and founded a church called The Cupbearer in Las Vegas in 2004. Legacy Prior to Cunningham’s arrival in the NFL, the idea that African Americans could succeed at the quarterback position was anathema to head coaches around the league. The late career success of journeyman Doug Williams, the amazing but unlauded play of Joe Gilliam, and sparing play of James Harris not withstanding, Randall Cunningham and Warren Moon were the first black men to lead consistently from the quarterback position. Randall’s athleticism and coach Buddy Ryan’s understanding of what kind of pressure a game-breaker like Cunningham could put on a defense, proved that a scrambler could not just survive but thrive in a league increasingly based on speed. His success brought about the revolution of the so-called running quarterback to the modern era NFL and paved the way for the prototype mobile passer such as Daunte Culpepper, Donovan McNabb, Steve McNair, and Michael Vick. Cunningham will be eligible for the 2007 NFL Hall Of Fame. Though, its unlikely we will see him as a 1st ballot selection. Trivia | ||||||||
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