Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

UNLV’s finest: Randall Cunningham ready for induction into College Football Hall of Fame

Randall Cunningham

National Football Foundation

UNLV football great Randall Cunningham talks with media ahead of his induction into the College Football Hall of Fame on Dec. 6, 2016, during the National Football Foundation Awards Dinner at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City.

Randall Cunningham later today will become the first UNLV football player inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

While he’s best known as one of the NFL’s trendsetting quarterbacks, helping redefine the position during a 15-year professional career to where mobile quarterbacks were coveted by teams, he was much-more at UNLV.

Cunningham is the unquestioned best player in UNLV history, breaking 18 school records and leading the Rebels to an 11-2 record and California Bowl victory in 1984. The 53-year-old Cunningham, who passed for 8,020 career yards and 59 touchdowns in three UNLV seasons, still holds 13 school records.

As a punter, he averaged 45.6 yards per kick and was a two-time second-team All-American. As a junior and senior, Cunningham was the PCAA’s Offensive Player of the Year.

Click to enlarge photo

Randall Cunningham awarded College Hall of Fame during UNLV versus Colorado State at Sam Boyd Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 22, 2016.

It took being on the ballot 11 times for Cunningham to be selected.

He’ll be inducted tonight during the National Football Foundation Awards Dinner at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City along with likes of Derrick Brooks (Florida State), Rod Woodson (Purdue) and Troy Davis (Iowa State). His contingent of supporters in New York includes UNLV Athletic Director Tina Kunzer-Murphy.

The foundation provided a transcript of Cunningham’s interview today. Here’s his back-and-forth with moderator Bonnie Bernstein.

•••

Bernstein: Randall Cunningham broke 18 school records including passing yards, passing TDs, and punting that’s right; I said punting punting average. He was a three-time First Team All-Conference as a punter and twice, oh, by the way, a quarterback. So, yes, we all remember Randall Cunningham as a quarterback. But I would love to ask you about the other side of your game. Kickers just don’t get any love, and it’s a shame. So from your perspective as a punter, how proud are you of that aspect of your accomplishments?

Cunningham: Very excited. In life you go through wonderful things, and I just happened to be that person that had a big foot. So I had a size 13 way back then. And so when the ball hit my foot, it was going somewhere. I didn’t know where it was going

Bernstein: If all you needed was a big foot, we’d all be good punters.

Cunningham: But, no, it was a blessing. I got the opportunity to meet guys who were in the different categories, whether it was all-star games and things like that. I remember meeting Mike Rozier at an all-star game and at a conference. And it was just a blessing to meet him. He was one of the top players in college football. So it was great to see him and to meet him. And it gave me an avenue, by making it as a punter, with Kodak All-American. It was really a blessing to be able to just be around the top guys in the nation. And I really enjoyed that. So being a punter did open some doors for me.

Bernstein: I meant to research this and, unfortunately, I ran out of time. But I don’t know how many brothers are in the Hall of Fame. And I’m wondering what it means to you to be joining Sam.

Cunningham: It was a blessing. He came in this morning right about 7:00 and woke me up this morning. I’m happy that he’s here. So he’ll be here with us. And it’s awesome because when he came, I didn’t get the chance to come because I was so busy. But he came and supported me. So I’m really, really excited, and I bless God for that.

Ray Brewer can be reached at 702-990-2662 or [email protected]. Follow Ray on Twitter at twitter.com/raybrewer21

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