Sam Cunningham, who played running back at Southern California from 1970-72 and earned First Team All-America honors in 1972, will be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a member of the 2010 class.

DALLAS, July 28, 2010 – Southern California and The National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame announced today that they will jointly honor Sam “Bam” Cunningham with an NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salute Oct. 30 as the Trojans host Oregon in Los Angeles.

On May 27, the NFF announced that Cunningham, who played running back at Southern California from 1970-72 and earned First Team All-America honors in 1972, will be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a member of the 2010 class.

``Wow! What a thrill! Ever since I read the message [about being selected], I’ve been thinking about all the guys I played with who should be in the Hall of Fame and aren’t. I won’t name them because I might leave someone out,” said Cunningham at the time of the May 27 announcement. “It has been a long wait, but it was worth it. It’s great to be a Trojan.”

Throughout the season, each Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A) College Football Hall of Fame inductee returns to his school for the special on-field event, where a commemorative plaque is presented to the university for permanent display. Beginning with the NFF’s inaugural Hall of Fame class in 1951, the On-Campus Salute has served as the first of numerous highlights in the hall of fame experience, giving each inductee one more chance to take the field.

“Sam Cunningham’s contributions to the game of college football extend far beyond his astounding accomplishments on the playing field,” said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. “We are extremely proud that his story will forever be preserved at the College Football Hall of Fame as an inspiration for generations to come. It will be an enormous honor to travel to Coliseum and hear the crowds cheer his name in appreciation.”

Sam “Bam” Cunningham earned the nickname for his bruising goal line dives throughout his career with the Trojans, and he is credited with inspiring College Football Hall of Fame coach Paul “Bear” Bryant to integrate southern football. Playing for College Football Hall of Fame coach John McKay, Cunningham rushed for 135 yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries against Alabama as a rookie in his first game, helping the Trojans a to 42-12 victory in Birmingham. His performance that day in 1970 against the Crimson Tide inspired Alabama coach Bryant to make the case for integrating southern college football.

A team captain in 1972 and named USC Back of the Year, Cunningham led the Trojans to the 1972 national championship, scoring four touchdowns in the 1973 Rose Bowl and earning player of the game honors. Cunningham played in the 1973 Hula Bowl, College All-Star Game and Coaches All-America Game. He rushed for 1,579 yards and 23 touchdowns in his career (including 13 TDs in 1972) and added 34 receptions for 293 yards and 2 scores.

Drafted 11th overall in the 1973 NFL Draft by the New England, he played ten seasons for the Patriots, and he remains the organization’s all-time leading rusher. He was named to the AFC Pro Bowl team in 1978. Following his football career, Cunningham has been active in raising money for cancer and currently works as a landscape contractor in Englewood, Calif. He was inducted into the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame in 1992, the USC Athletic Hall of Fame in 2001, and the Patriots Hall of Fame in 2010. He is the older brother of Randall Cunningham, who played at UNLV and is on the ballot as a finalist for the College Football Hall of Fame.

Cunningham will be the 32nd Trojan player or coach inducted into the Hall of Fame, and the school's sixth running back to receive the honor. He is also the ninth Trojan elected to the hall in the last 11 years, including Marcus Allen (2000), Jon Arnett (2001), Ronnie Lott (2002), Ricky Bell (2003), Charles Young (2004), Anthony Davis (2005), Richard Wood (2007) and Coach John Robinson (2009). For a complete list of players and coaches in the hall, please visit www.collegefootball.org.

The 2010 Hall of Fame Class will be officially inducted at the NFF’s Annual Awards Dinner, held at New York City’s historic Waldorf=Astoria Hotel on Tuesday, December 7. For tickets to the Dec. 7 induction in New York, please contact Will Rudd at wrudd@footballfoundation.com or by calling 972-556-1000.

The National Hall of Fame Salute at the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl follows on January 1, giving the class recognition on a national stage, and events culminate with the College Football Hall of Fame’s Enshrinement Festival in the summer of 2011 in South Bend, Ind.

This year’s hall of fame class includes Dennis Byrd (North Carolina State); Ronnie Caveness (Arkansas); Ray Childress (Texas A&M); Randy Cross (UCLA); Sam Cunningham (Southern California); Mark Herrmann (Purdue); Clarkston Hines (Duke); Desmond Howard (Michigan); Chet Moeller (Navy); Jerry Stovall (LSU); Pat Tillman (Arizona State); Alfred Williams (Colorado); and coaches Barry Alvarez (Wisconsin) and Gene Stallings (Texas A&M, Alabama).

Currently scheduled NFF On-Campus Salutes for the 2010 class in chronological order include:

PLAYER	SCHOOL	YEARS PLAYED	ON-CAMPUS SALUTE DATE
Alfred Williams	Colorado	1987-90	Sat., Sept. 18 vs. Hawaii
Ronnie Caveness	Arkansas	1962-64	Sat., Sept. 25 vs. Alabama
Chet Moeller	Navy	1973-75	Sat., Oct. 16 vs. SMU
Sam Cunningham	Southern Cal	1970-72	Sat., Oct. 30 vs. Oregon
Mark Herrmann	Purdue	1977-80	Sat., Nov. 6 vs. Wisconsin
Jerry Stovall	LSU	1960-62	Sat., Nov. 6, vs. Alabama
Pat Tillman	Arizona State	1994-97	Sat., Nov. 13 vs. Stanford

NFF