ESPN has Sam Cunningham as greatest college football player to wear 39

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Our countdown to kickoff series has been looking at notable USC players to wear each number from zero through 99. But where do those players rank among all-time college football greats?

In a recent story, ESPN’s college football writers selected the sport’s greatest player to ever wear each number. For number 39, they had legendary USC running back Sam Cunningham.

“He ran for 1,579 yards and 23 touchdowns in his USC career, including 13 TDs in 1972,” ESPN wrote. “The Trojans had a record of 24-8-2 during his three years when Cunningham earned the nickname “Bam” for his bruising goal-line dives. In his final game, Cunningham scored four touchdowns in the Rose Bowl, capping USC’s national championship season. He was the 11th overall pick of the New England Patriots in the 1973 NFL draft.”

Cunningham’s impact on college football went far beyond the field, however. In 1970, an integrated USC team faced off against an all-white Alabama squad. Getting dominated 42-21 by Cunningham and the Trojans prompted legendary Alabama head coach Bear Bryant to integrate his team the following year, forever altering the course of college football.

In 2010, Cunningham was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. He is also a member of the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame and the USC Athletics Hall of Fame. He passed away in 2021 at the age of 71.

This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: ESPN has Sam Cunningham as greatest college football player to wear 39

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