Randall Cunningham was a trailblazing QB; Where is he now?
PHILADELPHIA (BVM) – Younger football fans likely think of Michael Vick or Lamar Jackson when discussing mobile QBs in NFL history, but Randall Cunningham helped pave the way for them. The four-time Pro Bowler is fifth all-time in rushing yards (4,928) for quarterbacks, despite playing in an era where he was a rarity.
Cunningham was a star throughout the 1980s and 1990s, but it is easy to imagine him being an even bigger name in the modern era of the league.
What is one of the most dynamic two-way QBs in NFL history up to now?
College career
Cunningham grew up in Santa Barbara, California, and decided to stay on the West Coast by attending UNLV. He was named the starting quarterback as a sophomore in 1982 and then began to blossom as a junior and senior.
He led the Pacific Coast Athletic Association in passing touchdowns both seasons, winning the league’s offensive player of the year award twice. The Rebels went 11-2 in Cunningham’s final season in 1984 highlighted by a win over Toledo in the California Bowl.
UNLV’s wins in 1983 and 1984 were later wiped away due to NCAA violations, but Cunningham’s impact on the university was obvious enough to retire his No. 12.
He is the only player to have his number retired by the school’s football program.
Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles grabbed Cunningham in the second round of the 1985 NFL Draft, making him the first QB taken that year. He was initially used as a situational quarterback before earning the starting job in 1987. Cunningham became a household name in 1988, leading Philadelphia to the playoffs and finishing runner-up to Boomer Esiason in the MVP voting. Cunningham was named the starter for the NFC in the Pro Bowl, becoming the first black quarterback to receive the honor.
The Eagles were eliminated in the first round of the postseason by the Chicago Bears in a game known as the “Fog Bowl,” but not because of Cunningham. He threw for 407 yards that day, a number that still stands as the franchise’s postseason passing record.
Cunningham made three straight Pro Bowls (1988-90) and was the MVP runner-up again in 1990 to Joe Montana.
The star QB tore his ACL in the 1991 season opener and was never the same for Philadelphia after that. Cunningham dealt with other injuries in the following years and was eventually benched.
Cunningham announced his retirement after his 11th season with the Eagles in 1995.
Minnesota Vikings
Cunningham’s retirement lasted one season before he returned to the league with the Vikings in 1997. He served as the backup but was ready to go when starter Brad Johnson went down in early December.
He started Minnesota’s three remaining regular-season games and even led the team to a playoff win over the New York Giants. It was eliminated the following week by the San Francisco 49ers.
Johnson was the starter entering 1998, but that was short-lived.
He went down with an ankle injury in the second game of the season and Cunningham took the job for what turned out to be one of the greatest campaigns in a fantastic career. The Vikings went 15-1 as Cunningham threw 35 touchdowns. Cunningham finished as the MVP runner-up for the third time in his career, this time to Terrell Davis.
Teammate Randy Moss placed third in the voting as a rookie with 1,313 receiving yards and a league-leading 17 touchdowns.
Minnesota was knocked out of the playoffs that season in the NFC championship game to the Atlanta Falcons in overtime.
Cunningham started the first six games for the Vikings in 1999, but was benched after that. He was released by the team before the start of the 2000 season. He spent a year each with the Dallas Cowboys and Baltimore Ravens as a backup QB before hanging it up after the 2001 season.
Football legacy
Cunningham’s stats and accolades were impressive at the end of his career with four Pro Bowl appearances and three second-place finishes in MVP voting. He threw for 29,979 yards and 207 touchdowns in his career and totaled 4,928 yards and 35 touchdowns on the ground.
He is not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2016.
Athletic success in the family
Cunningham’s kids received their father’s speed but utilized it differently. Randall II is a four-time All-American (2015-18) and two-time champion (2016 and 2018) in track at USC. He was also the 2013 Gatorade Nevada Boys Track & Field Athlete of the Year.
Vashti, his daughter, has taken her career to the Olympic level.
The American high jump specialist has competed in three Summer Olympics (2016, 2021 and 2024) and is still only 26 years old. She has won gold in other events including the World Indoor Championships and the Pan American Junior Championships.
Where is he now?
Cunningham had a short coaching career at Silverado High School where he served as an assistant when his son played there. He resigned from his position in 2011 but then returned to the school as the head coach in 2015. Cunningham held the role for two seasons.
The former NFL star spends most of his time at Remnant Ministries, the church he and his wife founded in 2004. They are both full-time pastors there.
