Billy Cannon

Bio

The first player in the Louisiana State's football history to have his number retired, Billy Cannon clinched the 1959 Heisman Trophy with a punt return against Ole Miss on Halloween night that has simply become known as "The Run." The leader of the Tigers' 1958 national championship team, Cannon rushed for 1,867 yards and 19 touchdowns and amassed 965 yards in punt/kick returns during his career. He received unanimous All-America honors and placed third in Heisman voting in 1958 en route to earning consensus All-America laurels and winning both the Heisman and the Walter Camp Player of the Year Awards the following season. Drafted in the first round of the 1960 AFL Draft, he played 11 professional seasons with the Houston Oilers, Oakland Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs. He returned to school during each off-season to further his education, eventually receiving his D.D.S. from the Tennessee School of Dentistry in 1969 and a Master's in Oral Biology from Loyola (Ill.) in 1971.

Career Highlights

• 1959 All-Conference
• 1959 Conference MVP
• 1959 Heisman Winner
• 1959 Unanimous All-America
• 1958 All-Conference
• 1958 Conference MVP
• 1958 Heisman - Third
• 1958 Unanimous All-America