FOXBOROUGH, MA - NOVEMBER 12: Running back Sam Cunningham #39 of the New England Patriots (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
Before Tom Brady and Bill Belichick ushered in an era of unprecedented success, one of the most iconic players in New England Patriots history was fullback Sam “Bam” Cunningham, who was one of the league’s more effective sledgehammers for a half-decade due to his absolutely bruising and punishing style of running.
The older brother of Eagles quarterback Randall Cunningham, Sam was able to translate a dominant college career at USC into a very successful pro career, as the 6-3, 230-pound ball-carrier was too big for defensive backs to tackle and too fast for linebackers to keep up with.