Age: 30
8th
season in pro football, 4th with Oilers
College: LSU
Height: 6’1” Weight: 215
Prelude:
Cannon was a
star all-purpose halfback in college who rushed for 1867 yards while averaging
5.2 yards-per-carry, caught 31 passes for 522 yards, and scored 21 touchdowns.
He was a two-time consensus first-team All-American and winner of the 1959
Heisman Trophy, following a season in which he also returned a punt 89 yards to
key a LSU win against Mississippi. Cannon was chosen by the Los Angeles Rams as
the first overall pick of the 1960 NFL draft, but signed with both the Rams and
Oilers of the new AFL. A judge’s decision awarded him to the Oilers and he had
a fair rookie season, rushing for a team-leading 644 yards and scoring a
touchdown in the AFL Championship game on an 88-yard pass play. He was a
second-team All-AFL selection by the league. Cannon followed up in 1961 by
leading the AFL in rushing (948 yards) and all-pupose yardage (2043) and he
capped the year by scoring the only touchdown in Houston’s league title game
win over the Chargers. Cannon suffered a back injury that limited his
effectiveness in 1962, holding him to 474 rushing yards although he still
caught 32 passes for 451 yards and scored a total of 13 touchdowns. He saw
little action in an injury-plagued 1963 season and was traded to the Oakland
Raiders, where he was tried at fullback with some success before being shifted
to tight end in 1965. Cannon caught only 21 passes combined in his first two
seasons at the new position.
1967 Season Summary
Appeared in
all 14 games
[Bracketed
numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]
Pass
Receiving
Receptions – 32
Most
receptions, game – 6 (for 99 yds.) vs. Miami 11/19
Yards – 629 [13]
Most yards,
game – 114 (on 4 catches) vs. Boston 9/17
Average gain
– 19.7 [3]
TDs – 10 [3,
tied with Don Maynard & Willie Frazier]
100-yard
receiving games – 1
Scoring
TDs – 10 [4,
tied with Don Maynard, Willie Frazier & Mike Garrett]
Points – 60 [12,
tied with Willie Frazier & Mike Garrett]
Postseason: 2
G
Pass
receptions – 4
Most pass
receptions, game – 2 vs. Houston, AFL Championship; vs. Green Bay, Super Bowl
Pass receiving
yards – 56
Most pass
receiving yards, game – 31 vs. Houston, AFL Championship
Average yards
per reception – 14.0
Pass
Receiving TDs – 0
Awards & Honors:
1st
team All-AFL: AP, UPI
2nd
team All-AFL: NY Daily News, Sporting News
Raiders went 13-1
to finish first in the AFL Western Division while leading the league in scoring
(466 points) and TDs (68). Won AFL Championship over Houston Oilers (40-7).
Lost Super Bowl to Green Bay Packers (33-14).
Aftermath:
Cannon spent
two more years with the Raiders and was an AFL All-Star in 1969. He spent one
last year with Kansas City as a backup in 1970. Altogether, he rushed for 2455
yards on 602 carries (4.1 avg.) with 17 TDs and caught 236 passes for 3656
yards (15.5 avg.) and 47 touchdowns. Cannon was a consensus first-team All-AFL
selection after one season, received some first- or second-team recognition
after three other seasons, and was chosen to two AFL All-Star Games. His son
Billy Jr. played linebacker for the Cowboys for one year.
--
Highlighted Years features players who were consensus
first-team All-League* selections or league* or conference** leaders in the
following statistical categories:
Rushing:
Yards, TDs (min. 10)
Passing:
Yards, Completion Pct., Yards per Attempt, TDs, Rating
Receiving:
Catches, Yards, TDs (min. 10)
Scoring: TDs,
Points, Field Goals (min. 5)
All-Purpose:
Total Yards
Defense:
Interceptions, Sacks
Kickoff
Returns: Average
Punt Returns:
Average
Punting:
Average
*Leagues
include NFL (1920 to date), AFL (1926), AFL (1936-37), AAFC (1946-49), AFL
(1960-69), WFL (1974-75), USFL (1983-85)
