5 things about the ex-Raider star turned prison dentist
Editor’s note: This is part of an occasional series acquainting fans with the Raiders’ illustrious 60-year history as the team moves to Las Vegas for the 2020 season.
He was a legend at Louisiana State, All-Pro with the Raiders and a prison dentist.
Much about Billy Cannon’s pro football career was like pulling teeth. And when he became a dentist after his playing days, so were the later years of his life.
After serving 2 1/2 years of a 5-year sentence for counterfeiting, Cannon became a dentist at Louisiana State Penitentiary. Eventually he was put in charge of the prison system’s entire medical system.
It was a post he held until his death in 2018.
Here are five more things about one of the most versatile offensive players — tight end, wide receiver, fullback, halfback — in Raiders’ history:
— Cannon was LSU’s only Heisman Trophy winner until Joe Burrow last season. His No. 20 was the first of only two jersey numbers retired by the school (Tommy Casanova, 37), and a statue of his likeness was unveiled outside of Tiger Stadium following his death. A clip of Cannon’s iconic 89-yard punt return touchdown against Mississippi on Halloween night 1959 is shown on the scoreboard before every game.
Thanks, I’ll check out his IMDb page.
I was born in ‘81. Being from Louisiana, the only Cannon with a capitol C I know of is Billy Cannon, the LSU football icon & 1958 Heisman Trophy winner. He was LSU’s only Heisman winner until Joey Burreaux took it home this past season. pic.twitter.com/DRXRydBGr1
— Fat Lester (@fatlester) May 11, 2020
— He was the No. 1 draft pick of the NFL as well as the No. 1 territorial pick of the old AFL but played with the AFL’s Houston Oilers despite previously signing with the Los Angeles Rams (and their 33-year-old general manager Pete Rozelle). A judge sided with the Oilers on the basis of Cannon being “a provincial lad untutored and unwise in the ways of the business world.”
RIP Billy Cannon. Played for LSU and in the NFL for the Oilers, Raiders and Chiefs. pic.twitter.com/4KjgCODrk5
— 𝙃𝙚𝙡𝙢𝙚𝙩 𝘼𝙙𝙙𝙞𝙘𝙩 (@HelmetAddict) May 21, 2018
— Cannon’s son, Billy Jr., was a linebacker at Texas A&M and was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the first round of the 1984 NFL draft. A multisport star like his father, Cannon Jr. also was drafted by the New York Yankees out of high school.
#TBT In 1980, George Steinbrenner coveted two-sport star Billy Cannon Jr. https://t.co/eV5cnT2eFE #UltimateDraftBook pic.twitter.com/6ZDjGBb1yD
— Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica) August 18, 2016
— In Super Bowl II against the Packers, a wide-open Billy Cannon Sr. dropped an apparent touchdown pass early in the fourth quarter of Green Bay’s 33-14 victory.
#NationalTightEndsDay 🏴☠️🏈
The #Raiders have a long history of superb TEs … Billy Cannon, Raymond Chester, Dave Casper & Todd Christensen. * In chronological order
All four helped the #Raiders win championships.
BC 1967
DC 1976
RC 1980
TC 1983 pic.twitter.com/iSAk259Yxo— AFL GODFATHER (@NFLMAVERICK) October 27, 2019
— The following season in the infamous Heidi Game against the New York Jets, Cannon caught a 48-yard TD pass from Daryle Lamonica in the second quarter before NBC pulled the plug on the broadcast and the Raiders rallied for a 43-32 victory by scoring two touchdowns in the final minute.
RIP Billy Cannon, HB/TE
• #Houston Oilers '60-63, #Raiders '64-69, KC '70
• 1959 #Heisman Trophy winner 🏆
• 3x AFL champion ('60, '61, '67)🏆🏆🏆
• 2x First-Team All-AFL ('61, '67)
• 2x AFL All-Star ('61, '69)
• 1961 AFL rushing leader pic.twitter.com/oiTnggqI4K— Kevin Gallagher (@KevG163) May 20, 2018
Contact Ron Kantowski at rkantowski@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0352. Follow @ronkantowski on Twitter.