Bennie Cunningham

Bennie Cunningham
refer to caption
Cunningham at Clemson in 1975
No. 89
Position:Tight end
Personal information
Born:(1954-12-23)December 23, 1954
Laurens, South Carolina, U.S.
Died:April 23, 2018(2018-04-23) (aged 63)
Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
Height:6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Weight:254 lb (115 kg)
Career information
High school:Seneca (Seneca, South Carolina)
College:Clemson
NFL draft:1976 / round: 1 / pick: 28
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Receptions:202
Receiving yards:2,879
Receiving TDs:20
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Bennie Lee Cunningham Jr. (December 23, 1954 – April 23, 2018[1]) was an American professional football player who was a tight end for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He was born to Bennie Lee Cunningham Sr., and Carol Cunningham. He was selected out of the Clemson University in the 1976 NFL draft by the Steelers.[2] During his career, he played in 118 games and caught 202 receptions for 2,879 yards and 20 touchdowns.

Cunningham's most famous play in the NFL was a game-winning touchdown in a Pittsburgh home game versus divisional rival Cleveland on September 24, 1978. It came on a flea-flicker play, culminating in a pass from Terry Bradshaw to Cunningham, who caught the ball in the back right corner of the end zone. It gave the Steelers a dramatic 15–9 victory over the Browns in sudden-death overtime.

On April 23, 2018, Cunningham died at age 63 at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, where he had been fighting cancer for about three months.

NFL career statistics

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Legend
Won the Super Bowl
Bold Career high

Regular season

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Year Team Games Receiving
GP GS Rec Yds Avg Lng TD
1976 PIT 12 0 5 49 9.8 20 1
1977 PIT 12 11 20 347 17.4 43 2
1978 PIT 6 6 16 321 20.1 48 2
1979 PIT 15 7 36 512 14.2 41 4
1980 PIT 15 1 18 232 12.9 35 2
1981 PIT 15 15 41 574 14.0 30 3
1982 PIT 9 9 21 277 13.2 31 2
1983 PIT 16 16 35 442 12.6 29 3
1984 PIT 7 4 4 64 16.0 29 1
1985 PIT 11 11 6 61 10.2 17 0
118 80 202 2,879 14.3 48 20

Playoffs

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Year Team Games Receiving
GP GS Rec Yds Avg Lng TD
1976 PIT 2 1 4 36 9.0 29 0
1977 PIT 1 0 3 42 14.0 19 0
1979 PIT 3 3 4 35 8.8 16 1
1982 PIT 1 1 5 55 11.0 16 1
1983 PIT 1 1 2 32 16.0 18 0
1984 PIT 2 1 1 19 19.0 19 0
10 7 19 219 11.5 29 2

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Matt Connolly, "Former Clemson, Steelers great Bennie Cunningham dies from cancer", The State, April 23, 2018
  2. ^ "Bennie Cunningham Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved February 24, 2023.
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