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.

  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.