Billy Cannon

At 80 years old, Billy Cannon has this physical status:

William Abb Cannon (August 2, 1937 – May 20, 2018) was an American football running back and tight end who competed competitively in the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL).

He attended Louisiana State University (LSU), where he played football for the LSU Tigers as a halfback, return specialist, and defensive back.

Cannon, a national championships winner who also received the Heisman Trophy as the country's most outstanding college athlete in 1959, and was named twice unanimously as an All-American.

Fans and sportswriters alike believe his punt return against Ole Miss on Halloween night in 1959 is one of the most popular plays in LSU sports history. In the 1960 American Football League draft, Cannon was chosen first overall pick and a first-round territorial pick, resulting in a labor controversy that ended in court.

Cannon spent time with the Houston Oilers and Oakland Raiders before deciding against the Kansas City Chiefs of the NFL.

He began his work with the Oilers as a halfback.

In 1961, Cannon, a two-time AFL All-Star, led the league in rushing and all-purpose yards.

He was named the most valuable player of the first two AFL championship games, which were won by the Oilers.

Since being traded to the Raiders, he won another league championship in 1967, he was pushed to fullback and later tight end.

He appeared in his second AFL–NFL World Championship game, also known as Super Bowl II, in which his team was defeated by the Green Bay Packers. Since being out of football, Cannon became a dentist.

After a string of bad real estate investments, he became involved in a forged robbery scheme and spent two and a half years in jail.

He was hired as a dentist at Louisiana State Prison Prison in 1995, a position he held until his resignation in 2018.

His jersey number 20 was retired by LSU football in 1960, and he was inducted into the LSU Athletic Hall of Fame in 1975, the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in 1976, and the College Football Hall of Fame in 2008.

Early life and high school

William Abb Cannon was born in Philadelphia, Mississippi, to Harvey and Virgie Cannon. The family migrated to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where his father served during World War II. Cannon, who attended Istrouma High School in Baton Rouge, drew notice for his speed, strength, and size; he excelled in football, basketball, and track. Cannon, who played for both Cannon and All-America teams in 1955, gained 39 touchdowns in football, led the Istrouma Indians to a state championship in 1955. Despite being restricted to only the first half of games, he scored 229 points in the first two games, a state record at the time. He ran the 100-yard dash in 9.6 seconds and fired the ball over 56 feet, setting state records for both events at the time. After Cannon and some friends were caught extorting money from men who had not seen with prostitutes, he received a 90-day suspended suspended prison term for robbery. This was the first in a string of legal issues affecting Cannon's life.

Personal and later life

While Cannon and Dot Dupuy were both freshmen at LSU, they married as a high school sweetheart. They had five children together. Billy Cannon Jr. played for Texas A&M and was selected in the first round of the 1984 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys.

Cannon Sr. graduated from LSU in 1959 and completed post-graduate studies at the University of Tennessee during the Oilers' off-season. He obtained a D.D.S. from the University of Delaware. Later, he obtained additional degrees in orthodontia from Loyola University Chicago. After retiring from football, he returned to Baton Rouge and began his own dental work.

Despite a fruitful career, by 1983, he was facing financial difficulties due to bad real estate investments and gambling debts. He printed $6 million in U.S. 100-dollar bills, some of which he stored in ice chests buried in the back yard of a house he owned and rented out. He served two-and-a-half years at the Federal Correctional Institution in Texarkana, alongside five others. Since being released in 1986, he regained his dental license but had trouble reconstructing his practice. He was hired as a dentist at the Louisiana State Penitentiary in 1995, first as a technician. The dental clinic in the jail was chaotic at the time; many dentists refused to work there; prisoners were often unable to make appointments; and prisoners were often unable to get to appointments. Cannon reorganized the dental service with a great success, and was soon hired as a full-time employee. Warden Burl Cain was brought in to handle the entire medical system of the prison, after being impressed with Cannon's work with the dental program. Cannon remained the resident dentist at the prison, where prisoners often refer to him as "Legend" instead.

With his wife, Cannon lived in St. Francisville, Louisiana. Cannon was hospitalized in Baton Rouge after suffering a stroke in February 2013. He was released two days later, returned to work the next Monday, and made complete recovery. Cannon died in his sleep on May 20, 2018, at his St. Francisville home at the age of 80.

Source

College football career

Despite his athletic shortcomings, Cannon was recruited by several college clubs to play football after he left high school. Florida and Ole Miss were among his top choices, but he picked LSU because he was enrolled in a local car dealership for two semesters; other colleges did not guarantee a job. In addition, Cannon's mother believed he should remain close to home. "Mommy was older and wiser, and I followed her instructions," Cannon said.

Cannon first played for the LSU varsity football team as a sophomore under coach Paul Dietzel. He was in the halfback position and shared the backfield with Jim Taylor, who was named as an All-American that year. He was also a defensive back and was the team's primary punter. He starred twice in early season victories over Alabama and Texas Tech, establishing himself as a hero. The Alabama game was the most popular rushing game of Cannon's college career; he had 141 yards with eight carries. Cannon had five punts for a 40-yard average, made two of four passes for 31 yards, ran three times for 36 yards, and kicked a kickoff for a touchdown against the Red Raiders. Cannon recalled that Texas Tech's primary concern was Taylor. "They were just wearing Jimmy out," he said. "Of course, they weren't looking for me." Jimmy was just beaten out of him by the devil. I had a blast playing Jimmy with them focusing on Jimmy." Jack Henry, the former Red Raiders standout, recalled Cannon as a fan over half a century ago.

The Tigers won their next two games before losing four in a row, but in every game, they were still competitive, mainly due to Cannon and Taylor's play. Although LSU had predicted to finish last in their conference, they had a win over Tulane and a 5–5 record. Cannon was a member of the Associated Press until the end of the season (AP) Southeastern Conference (SEC) The United States Constitution and the United Press International (UPI) All-Sophomore team and the United Nations Press International (UPI) second team were included in the United States, although the Associated Press International (UPI) All-SEC second team was included on the Associated Press International (UPI) He also had the highest kickoff return average in the country (31.2 yards).

Coach Dietzel invented a tool to keep his players fresh during games: his "three-platoon system" divided the team into the "Go Team," the "White Team," and the "Chinese Bandits" in 1958. The White Team was comprised of the starting unit for the Tigers and, led by Cannon, was made up of the most versatile players who excelled on both offense and defense. Dietzel was able to spend more time on offense because of Jim Taylor's graduation. Both offense and defense, LSU, have a lot of talent and depth to start the season. On an average of three touchdowns, the team defeated its first five opponents by a margin of three touchdowns. For LSU's homecoming, the sixth game of the season was against Florida. The Tigers beat the Tigers by 10-7, with Cannon scoring their first touchdown of the season in the second quarter. In the AP's weekly poll to rank teams, the Tigers were ranked first. The team remained in top successive polls as it ended the regular season undefeated and named national champion by the AP and UPI. In the Sugar Bowl, LSU defeated Clemson 7–0. Cannon was to blame for all seven points in the game; he threw a touchdown pass to Mickey Mangham and then kicked the extra point.

Cannon was unanimously selected by sportswriters as a first-team All-American after the season. United Press International, The Sporting News, and the Touchdown Club of Columbus selected him as Player of the Year. In addition,, he was elected to the All-SEC team and was named as the SEC Most Valuable Player by the Nashville Banner after leading the conference in rushing yards, average, and touchdowns. In voting for the Heisman Trophy, Cannon finished third, behind winner Pete Dawkins of Army and runner-up Randy Duncan of Iowa. "It's a wonderful thing" Dietzel described Cannon's accolades: "It's a wonderful thing." Billy Cannon is the finest football player I've evercoached," he says.

With Cannon and the majority of the defensive starters returning in 1959, LSU was supposed to qualify for another national championship. The Tigers were ranked as the top-ranked team in the country's first season, with the number of season-ticket holders up threefold compared to the previous season. The team won its first six games without allowing a touchdown. Cannon demonstrated his versatility in those games; he led the team in total yards on offense, returned a touchdown on defense, and averaged 40 yards per punt while still returning punts and kickoffs. This match between LSU and rival Ole Miss Rebels, who were also undefeated, was a long awaited match.

Cannon led LSU into Tiger Stadium on Halloween night to face the third-ranked Ole Miss Rebels. For the majority of the game, neither team's offense nor offense managed to reach the end zone. Cannon returned a punt 89 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter, the Tigers trailed 3–0, breaking seven tackles, and running the last 60 yards unstoppated. On the fourth down and with 18 seconds on the clock, the Rebels mounted one last drive and crossed the Tigers' 1-yard line before Cannon and Warren Rabb made a game-saving tackle on the fourth down and tied the clock. The Tigers beat the Warriors 7–3. Cannon lay down in the tunnel, beaten, and unable to reach the locker room after the game. After a failed two-point conversion attempt by Cannon, LSU's hopes to repeat as national champion effectively ended the following week with a 14-13 loss to Tennessee. The Tigers ended the season with a rematch against Ole Miss in the Sugar Bowl, in which they were defeated 21–0.

In 1959, Cannon was named the nation's most outstanding player of the year. He received 519 first-place votes in the competition's 1,197 media votes; runner-up Richie Lucas received 98 such votes. Although Cannon had only scored six touchdowns on the season, the defensive play and his performance on Halloween night were enough to convince voters. During a dinner at the Downtown Athletic Club in New York City on December 9, Vice President Richard Nixon presented him with the award. "Not an ordinary Cannon, but an atomic Cannon," Nixon described him as "the ultimate weapon in Paul Dietzel's arsenal. Following Frank Sinkwich of Georgia in 1942, he was the second player from the SEC to win the trophy. Cannon was also a repeat winner of almost every award he received during the previous season, including unanimous All-America recognition.

Professional football career

Cannon signed a deal with Los Angeles Rams general manager Pete Rozelle in November 1959, in which he promised to play for the Rams in the National Football League. The three-year deal was for more than three years with a $30,000 signing bonus. Cannon signed another deal two months after LSU's Sugar Bowl loss; this one was with the Houston Oilers, whose owner Bud Adams, who gave Cannon $33,000 a year with a $10,000 signing bonus. Adams promised him a Cadillac for his father at Cannon's request. The Rams filed a lawsuit claiming that Cannon was bound by their contract and therefore could not sign with Houston when it was revealed that he had signed with two different clubs. Judge William Lindberg ruled against the Rams, finding that the agreements were nullified and that Rozelle had profited from Cannon's inexperience. Lindberg referred to Cannon as "extraordinary... a provincial lad untutored and unwise in the corporate world's ways." The AFL's victory over the rival NFL gave the fledgling league a sense of legitimacy. Cannon also agreed to play for the Oilers in the AFL following the ruling. He became the first $100,000 professional football player in the United States.

Under the new Oilers' head coach Lou Rymkus, Cannon joined the newly formed Oilers. He was booed early on by opposing players as one of the highest-paid players in professional football. Nor did he get along with Rymkus, whom he described as "unpleasant, combative, with a sarcastic demeanor and an oversized ego." He led the team in rushing with 644 yards and five touchdown passes in Cannon's rookie year. The Oilers were crowned the inaugural AFL champions after quarterback George Blanda's 88-yard touchdown reception in the 1960 AFL Championship Game. Cannon was dubbed the game's Most Valuable Player for his efforts.

Houston won ten games under Wally Lemm after Rykmus was suspended when the Oilers started the 1961 season poorly. Cannon had 373 all-purpose yards and five touchdowns in one of those games against the New York Titans. His 216 passing yards in the game also tied for the AFL record. He was the AFL's top rusher with 948 yards and led the league in all-purpose yards at the end of the season. The Oilers returned as AFL champions, while Cannon was the game's MVP, scoring the first touchdown. He was named by Sporting News to the 1961 AFL All-Star Game, and he was invited to play in the 1961 AFL All-Star Game.

In the third game of the 1962 season, Cannon suffered a back injury, but he ranked second on the team in scoring behind Blanda. For the third time, the Oilers advanced to the championship game, but they lost to the Dallas Texans in the first-ever double-overtime game in professional football history. Cannon was forced to miss the bulk of the 1963 season due to ankle injuries and lingering back pains. Lemm was also fired as the Oilers' head coach. Cannon's injury and previous engagements made him leave the team. "I left the team with positive energy and a lot of good friends," he later said. It was just time to go."

Cannon was drafted by the Oakland Raiders before the 1964 season. Al Davis, the Raiders' head coach, liked Cannon's abilities but was uncertain how to use him. Davis went fullback, where he was an asset in catching passes, which was not present in fullbacks. He ended the season with 37 receptions for 454 yards and eight touchdowns after getting off to a slow start. He also ran for three more touchdowns. Davis was moved to the tight end, to Cannon's chagrin; he was supposed to be made into a wide receiver, but the Raiders had Art Powell and rookie Fred Biletnikoff to help cover that position. He eventually accepted his new position and adapted quickly to it. However, in the Raiders' offense, the tight end was rarely used. He only passed for seven touchdowns on the season so far. As Al Davis took over as head coach and the Raiders' general manager before the 1966 season, he took over as head coach. Cannon posed as a major threat to Rauch's offense and finished with four36 yards on 436 yards, an average of 31.4 yards per reception.

The Raiders' AFL championship was on the horizon by 1967, and the team has so fully adopted the team's game plan. Daryle Lamonica, a quarterback who plays for quarterback Daryle Lamonica, convinced Davis to sign Blanda as both a placekicker and a mentor. In his most offensive season at the position, Cannon led all AFL tight ends with 629 yards receiving and ten touchdowns. For the second time he was an All-AFL pick, this time as a close result. His efforts helped the Raiders win the 1967 AFL Championship game against the Oilers, which was a 40–7 win over his former team. The Raiders earned a spot in their second AFL-NFL World Championship game, in which they met the Green Bay Packers, thanks to a recent deal between the two leagues. Cannon dropped a pass early in the fourth quarter while wide-open on a play on which he would have scored. It was later described as "the worst drop of my career" later in life. Green Bay took the game 33–14.

Cannon had a short career in 1968, with six touchdown passes, including one of 48 yards in the second quarter of the famous Heidi Game, but he didn't stay in Oakland long. By 1969, head coach John Madden had been relegated to decoy routes, but he had only two touchdowns. Despite this, he was drafted as a replacement to play in his second All-Star game. Cannon was released by the Raiders during the 1970 preseason.

Cannon received a call from Kansas City Chiefs head coach Hank Stram as he was about to start post-graduate studies in orthodontics at Loyola University in Chicago. Stram signed Cannon to a one-year deal, and he appeared in six games for the Chiefs in 1970, catching two touchdowns before his season-ending injury caused him to leave. He completed his eleven-year career with 2,455 passing yards, 3,656 receiving yards, and 64 touchdowns on offense. He also threw one touchdown pass and returned a kickoff for a touchdown. Cannon holds the NFL record for the most yards from scrimmage in a non-overtime game (330 against the New York Titans in 1961) and is tied with four other players for the most touchdown receptions by a running back in a season (nine in 1961).

Source