Football
b. Feb. 8, 1937, Philadelphia, MS
Because of a tug of war between the established NFL and the new American Football League in 1960, Cannon was the most publicized football player of the year.
An All-American halfback at Louisiana State University in 1958 and 1959, Cannon won the Heisman Trophy as a senior. The 6-foot-1, 210-pounder was a fine all-around player who rushed for 1,867 yards, returned 31 punts for 349 yards, and caught 31 passes during his career. He was also LSU's punter.
The NFL's Los Angles Rams secretly signed him to a $50,000 contract soon after the regular season ended. A few weeks later, Cannon also signed with the AFL's Houston Oilers for $100,000 a year. A court ruled that the Houston contract was binding.
Cannon spent four seasons with the Oilers. He led the league in rushing with 948 yards in 1961, when Houston won the AFL championship. Traded to the Oakland Raiders in 1964, Cannon was moved to tight end. He remained with the Raiders until 1970, when he played a final season with the Kansas City Chiefs.
During his 11 seasons as a professional, Cannon rushed 602 times for 2,455 yards, a 4.1 average, and 17 touchdowns. He caught 236 passes for 3,656 yards, a 15.5 average, and 29 touchdowns; returned 14 punts for 178 yards; and ran back 67 kickoffs for 1,704 yards and 1 touchdown.
Cannon was named all-AFL as a running back in 1961 and as a tight end in 1967. He practiced dentistry after retiring from football. In 1983, he was convicted of taking part in a counterfeiting operation and was sentenced to five years in prison.
Heisman Trophy 1959
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