On Tuesday, the New England Patriots announced that former running back Sam “Bam” Cunningham” had passed away at the age of 71.
In 1973, Cunningham was selected 11th overall by the Patriots in that year’s draft out of the University of Southern California where he had helped the Trojans win a National Championship as a consensus All-American during his three colligiate seasons.
Sam Cunningham is the Patriots' all-time leading rusher (5,453 yards) and his 43 rushing TDs are second in team history to Jim Nance.
He earned the nickname "Sam Bam" at USC for his daring dives over goal-line pileups, but his impact extended well beyond the playing field.