Randall Cunningham facts for kids
Randall Wade Cunningham Sr. (born March 27, 1963) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons. He spent most of his career with the Philadelphia Eagles and also played for the Minnesota Vikings. Cunningham was chosen for the Pro Bowl four times. When he retired, he was fourth in NFL history for rushing yards by a quarterback.
Cunningham played college football for the UNLV Rebels. He was named an All-American in 1983 and 1984 as a punter. The Eagles picked him in the second round of the 1985 NFL draft. He played for the Eagles for 11 seasons. After the 1995 season, he retired but came back a year later to join the Vikings. In 1998, he had one of his best seasons, helping the team set an NFL record for points scored. The Vikings reached the 1998 NFC Championship Game that year. Cunningham later lost his starting spot in 1999 and was released. For his last two seasons, he played as a backup for the Dallas Cowboys and Baltimore Ravens.
After retiring from football for good, Cunningham became a Protestant minister. He served as the team chaplain for the Las Vegas Raiders from 2020 to 2022. He was added to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2016.
Cunningham at the 1999 Pro Bowl
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| Position: | Quarterback | ||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
| Born: | March 27, 1963 Santa Barbara, California, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | ||||||||||||||||
| Weight: | 215 lb (98 kg) | ||||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||||
| High school: | Santa Barbara | ||||||||||||||||
| College: | UNLV (1981–1984) | ||||||||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 1985 / Round: 2 / Pick: 37 | ||||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||||||||
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College Football Hall of Fame
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Contents
Early Life and College Years
Randall Cunningham was born in Santa Barbara, California, in 1963. His older brother, Sam Cunningham, also became an NFL player. Randall went to Santa Barbara High School and graduated in 1981. In his senior year, he helped his team win a league title and reach the CIF Finals. He was also good at track and field, especially the high jump.
He then attended the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). He was chosen as an All-American punter in 1983 and 1984. In 1984, his final year, he led the UNLV Rebels to a great 11–2 season. However, this record was later changed to 0–13 because some players were found to be ineligible.
Professional Football Career
Playing for the Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles picked Cunningham in the second round of the 1985 NFL draft. He was the first quarterback chosen that year. In his first season, he played a little as a backup. He was known for his amazing scrambling (running) ability.
In 1986, new coach Buddy Ryan made Cunningham the starting quarterback. Cunningham was often sacked (tackled while trying to pass) a lot. In 1988, Cunningham became a top player. He was chosen by other players to be the starting quarterback for the NFC in the Pro Bowl. He was the first black quarterback to be elected a starter. That same year, he helped the Eagles win the NFC Eastern Division Championship.
In 1989, Cunningham made a 91-yard punt against the New York Giants. This was the longest punt in Eagles history and the fourth-longest ever in the NFL. He was also a great runner. In 1990, he ran for 942 yards, which was the second most ever for a quarterback at that time. He also had a famous play where he threw a 95-yard touchdown pass while almost being sacked.
In 1991, Cunningham's season ended early when he tore a ligament in his knee. He came back in 1992 and led the Eagles to their first playoff win in 12 years. However, his injury had made him less fast and athletic. After a few more seasons with injuries and changes to the team's offense, Cunningham decided to retire from football after the 1995 season. He felt he wasn't fully appreciated and didn't like being a backup.
He left the Eagles with the third-most rushing yards in team history. He was also second in passing yards. He still holds the Eagles record for yards per rush attempt.
Time with the Minnesota Vikings
Cunningham joined the Vikings in 1997 after not playing football in 1996. He reunited with his former Eagles teammate, wide receiver Cris Carter. In his first year with the Vikings, he led them to a comeback win against the New York Giants in a playoff game.
Cunningham had his best season in 1998 with the Vikings. He led them to an amazing 15–1 record in the regular season. He threw 34 touchdown passes and only 10 interceptions, with 3,704 passing yards. He had great teammates like Cris Carter, Randy Moss, and Jake Reed. Cunningham led the league in passer rating (a measure of how well a quarterback plays). The Vikings scored a record 556 points that season. Cunningham was the first black quarterback to lead the league in passer rating. He called the Vikings' 37–24 win over the Green Bay Packers "the greatest night of my football career." He threw for 442 yards and four touchdowns in that game. However, the Vikings lost to the Atlanta Falcons in the 1998 NFC Championship Game in overtime.
In 1999, Cunningham was benched after throwing too many interceptions. The team decided to start Daunte Culpepper for the 2000 season, and Cunningham was released.
Playing for the Dallas Cowboys
Before the 2000 season, Cunningham signed with the Dallas Cowboys to be a backup to Troy Aikman. When Aikman's season ended due to injuries, Cunningham became the starter again. He played in three games as a starter. One notable game was his return to Philadelphia, where he played against the new Eagles quarterback, Donovan McNabb. The Eagles won in overtime. Cunningham received a mix of cheers and boos from the Philadelphia fans. After a tough season for the Cowboys, Cunningham was not re-signed.
Final Season with the Baltimore Ravens
On May 29, 2001, Cunningham signed with the Baltimore Ravens. He was meant to be the third-string quarterback but became the backup to Elvis Grbac. He won both games he started. He was not re-signed after the season. On August 15, 2002, Cunningham signed a one-day contract with the Philadelphia Eagles to officially announce his retirement from football.
In his 16-year NFL career, Cunningham completed 2,429 passes for 29,979 yards and 207 touchdowns. He also rushed for 4,928 yards and 35 touchdowns. When he retired after the 2001 season, he was the NFL's all-time leader in rushing yards for a quarterback. This record was later broken by Michael Vick in 2011.
NFL Career Statistics
| Legend | |
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| NFL record | |
| Led the league | |
| Bold | Career high |
Regular Season
| Year | Team | Games | Passing | Rushing | Sacks | Fumbles | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Record | Cmp | Att | Pct | Yds | Avg | TD | Int | Rtg | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | Sck | SckY | Fum | Lost | ||
| 1985 | PHI | 6 | 4 | 1−3 | 34 | 81 | 42.0 | 548 | 6.8 | 1 | 8 | 29.8 | 29 | 205 | 7.1 | 0 | 20 | 150 | — | — |
| 1986 | PHI | 15 | 5 | 1−3−1 | 111 | 209 | 53.1 | 1,391 | 6.7 | 8 | 7 | 72.9 | 66 | 540 | 8.2 | 5 | 72 | 489 | — | — |
| 1987 | PHI | 12 | 12 | 7−5 | 223 | 406 | 54.9 | 2,786 | 6.9 | 23 | 12 | 83.0 | 76 | 505 | 6.6 | 3 | 54 | 380 | — | — |
| 1988 | PHI | 16 | 16 | 10−6 | 301 | 560 | 53.8 | 3,808 | 6.8 | 24 | 16 | 77.6 | 93 | 624 | 6.7 | 6 | 57 | 442 | — | — |
| 1989 | [[16 | 16 | 11−5 | 290 | 532 | 54.5 | 3,400 | 6.4 | 21 | 15 | 75.5 | 104 | 621 | 6.0 | 4 | 45 | 343 | — | — | |
| 1990 | PHI | 16 | 16 | 10−6 | 271 | 465 | 58.3 | 3,466 | 7.5 | 30 | 13 | 91.6 | 118 | 942 | 8.0 | 5 | 49 | 431 | — | — |
| 1991 | PHI | 1 | 1 | 1−0 | 1 | 4 | 25.0 | 19 | 4.8 | 0 | 0 | 46.9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 16 | — | — |
| 1992 | PHI | 15 | 15 | 10−5 | 233 | 384 | 60.7 | 2,775 | 7.2 | 19 | 11 | 87.3 | 87 | 594 | 6.3 | 5 | 60 | 437 | 13 | 8 |
| 1993 | PHI | 4 | 4 | 4−0 | 76 | 110 | 69.1 | 850 | 7.7 | 5 | 5 | 88.1 | 18 | 110 | 6.1 | 1 | 7 | 33 | 3 | 2 |
| 1994 | PHI | 14 | 14 | 7−7 | 265 | 490 | 54.1 | 3,229 | 6.6 | 16 | 13 | 74.4 | 65 | 288 | 4.4 | 3 | 43 | 333 | 10 | 3 |
| 1995 | PHI | 7 | 4 | 1−3 | 69 | 121 | 57.0 | 605 | 5.0 | 3 | 5 | 61.5 | 21 | 98 | 4.7 | 0 | 13 | 79 | 3 | 2 |
| 1997 | MIN | 6 | 3 | 1−2 | 44 | 88 | 50.0 | 501 | 5.7 | 6 | 4 | 71.3 | 19 | 127 | 6.7 | 0 | 7 | 60 | 4 | 1 |
| 1998 | MIN | 15 | 14 | 13−1 | 259 | 425 | 60.9 | 3,704 | 8.7 | 34 | 10 | 106.0 | 32 | 132 | 4.1 | 1 | 20 | 132 | 2 | 1 |
| 1999 | MIN | 6 | 6 | 2−4 | 124 | 200 | 62.0 | 1,475 | 7.4 | 8 | 9 | 79.6 | 10 | 58 | 5.8 | 0 | 15 | 101 | 2 | 2 |
| 2000 | DAL | 6 | 3 | 1−2 | 74 | 125 | 59.2 | 849 | 6.8 | 6 | 4 | 82.4 | 23 | 89 | 3.9 | 1 | 8 | 45 | 4 | 1 |
| 2001 | BAL | 6 | 2 | 2−0 | 54 | 89 | 60.7 | 573 | 6.4 | 3 | 2 | 81.3 | 14 | 40 | 2.9 | 1 | 12 | 66 | 4 | 0 |
| Career | 161 | 135 | 82−52−1 | 2,429 | 4,289 | 56.6 | 29,979 | 7.0 | 207 | 134 | 81.5 | 775 | 4,928 | 6.4 | 35 | 484 | 3,537 | 45 | 20 | |
Life After Football
After retiring from football, Cunningham went back to UNLV to finish his college degree. He also became involved in the Gospel music business. He opened a recording studio and produced Christian worship music. Cunningham is a born again Christian and became an ordained Protestant minister. He started a church called Remnant Ministries in Las Vegas in 2004. In 2020, Cunningham became the team chaplain for the Las Vegas Raiders.
In December 2009, Cunningham was hired as the offensive coordinator for the varsity and junior varsity football teams at Silverado High School in Henderson, Nevada. His son, Randall Cunningham II, was a freshman quarterback on the team.
In August 2011, Cunningham resigned from his coaching position at Silverado High School. His son, Randall Jr., then moved to Bishop Gorman High School.
In July 2012, Football Nation ranked Cunningham as the 23rd greatest quarterback of the NFL's post-merger era.
In March 2013, Cunningham wrote a book called Lay It Down: How Letting Go Brings Out Your Best. The book shares his ideas on how to apply the "lay it down" principle in different parts of life.
In December 2014, Cunningham became the head coach at Silverado High School. In his first season as head coach, he helped turn the team's record around from 3–7 to 7–4 in 2015. The team also won its first playoff game since 2007. Cunningham was not kept as coach at Silverado High School after two seasons in April 2017.
His daughter, Vashti Cunningham, is a track and field athlete. She competed in the high jump at the 2020 Summer Olympics, where she placed sixth.
See also
- List of athletes who came out of retirement
- Racial issues faced by black quarterbacks
