Melvin Cunningham facts for kids
| No. 45, 17 | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Defensive specialist | ||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||
| Born: | December 16, 1973 Huntington, West Virginia, U.S. |
||||||||||
| Height: | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||||||||||
| Weight: | 185 lb (84 kg) | ||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||
| College: | Marshall | ||||||||||
| Undrafted: | 1997 | ||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||
| As player: | |||||||||||
|
|||||||||||
| As coach: | |||||||||||
|
|||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||
|
|||||||||||
| Career Arena statistics | |||||||||||
|
|||||||||||
| Player stats at ArenaFan.com | |||||||||||
Melvin Cunningham is a former American football player. He was born on December 16, 1973. Melvin played as a defensive specialist. This means he was a key player on defense. He played for the Tampa Bay Storm in the Arena Football League (AFL). He also played college football at Marshall University. He was briefly with the Miami Dolphins in the National Football League (NFL).
Contents
Playing Football in College
Melvin Cunningham played for the Marshall Thundering Herd team. He was a college player from 1993 to 1996. He was recognized as an All-American player. He was also a first-team All-Southern Conference selection in 1995 and 1996.
Key Moments in College
In his senior year, 1996, Melvin made 3 interceptions. He returned two of these for touchdowns. He also had 27 tackles that year. The Marshall Thundering Herd won the Division I-AA national championship in 1996. This was a big win for the team.
Playing Football Professionally
Melvin Cunningham signed with the Miami Dolphins in the NFL. This happened on April 27, 1997. He was not chosen in the 1997 NFL draft but still got a chance. However, the Dolphins released him on August 12, 1997.
Time with the Tampa Bay Storm
Cunningham then joined the Tampa Bay Storm in the AFL. This was during the 1999 off-season. He earned Second Team All-Arena honors in 1999. He missed the 2000 and 2001 seasons due to injuries. He was released by the Storm on November 6, 2003.
Coaching Football Teams
After his playing career, Melvin Cunningham became a coach.
Early Coaching Roles
In 2001, he was the defensive backs coach. He coached for the River Cities LocoMotives team. This team was part of the National Indoor Football League. In 2000, Cunningham became the head coach for the Tug Valley High School Panthers. This school is in Mingo County, West Virginia. In 2010, he was a defensive coach for the Burch High School Bulldogs. They are from Delbarton, West Virginia.
Coaching High School Teams
Melvin Cunningham later became the head coach for the Fairland High School Dragons. This school is in Proctorville, Ohio. In 2015, the team had a tough season. In 2016, they improved their record. The 2021 season was very successful. The team finished with 10 wins and 2 losses. They reached the sweet sixteen round of the Ohio High School playoffs. In 2023, Cunningham left Fairland High School. He became the head football coach at Murray High School. He continues to coach there today.
