LEGENDARY HEISMAN WINNER CANNON DIES
LA.» Billy Cannon, the BATON ROUGE, gifted running back who won the Heisman Trophy for LSU in 1959 with a memorable Halloween night punt return touchdown against Mississippi, died Sunday. He was 80.
LSU said Cannon, the school’s only Heisman winner, died at his home in St. Francisville. The cause of death was not immediately known.
Cannon led the Tigers to a national championship in 1958 and won the Heisman the following year, highlighted by his tackle-breaking 89yard punt return that beat Ole Miss 7-3 and is still regularly shown on the video board at Tiger Stadium during LSU games.
“Nearly 60 years later, Louisianans still talk about that Halloween night,” Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said. “Billy’s legacy at LSU will live on for generations, and every time we enter Tiger Stadium, we’ll remember the impact he left on the players and fans who came after him.
“To put it simply, he was one of a kind.”
Cannon went on to a successful pro career with the Houston Oilers, Oakland Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs, and became a dentist after retiring from football. But life after football was far from smooth. He served 2½ years in federal prison for counterfeiting in the mid-1980s after a series of bad investments and debts left him broke.
He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2008, though it came on the second time he was voted in. The first time was in 1983, but the honor was rescinded because of his legal issues. After leaving prison, it took Cannon a while to put his life back together. He eventually was hired to be the dentist in the Louisiana State Penitentiary. His efforts at the prison were credited with bringing quality care to inmates that had long been lacking. He served as the dentist at the prison until retiring in January. The inmates would call him “Legend.”
“It’s the old penthouse, outhouse story,” Cannon said at his Hall of Fame induction in 2008.
Yates builds lead in Giro.
ITALY» Simon Yates made it a hat trick of wins in the Giro d’Italia on the 15th stage, and the British rider consolidated his overall lead as the race heads into its final week.
Yates set off on a solo attack with 17 kilometers remaining of the 176-kilometer (109-mile) route through the Dolomites from Tolmezzo to Sappada.
Miguel Angel Lopez edged out Tom Dumoulin for second to lead a group of five cyclists over the line, 41 seconds behind Yates.
Sparks edge Lynx in debut.
After the Minnesota Lynx received championship rings and raised a fourth banner in the arena, Chelsea Gray and the Los Angeles Sparks gave them their parting shot.
Gray had 18 points, including a double-clutch off-balance in the lane at the buzzer that gave the shorthanded Sparks a 77-76 victory over the Lynx in a rematch of last year’s finals.
Phillips propels Red Bulls.
ATLANTA» Bradley-Wright Phillips scored two second-half goals in the New York Red Bulls’ 3-1 victory over Atlanta United.
Elis scores twice to lift Dynamo.
ILL.» Alberth Elis scored BRIDGEVIEW, two second-half goals to help the Houston Dynamo beat the Chicago Fire 3-2 for its first road win.
Shelton lifts Sporting KC to tie.
Khiry Shelton scored his first goal of the season in Sporting Kansas City’s 1-1 tie with Minnesota United.
Nadal wins eighth Italian Open.
ROME» Rafael Nadal came out on top in a matchup of this year’s top two clay-court players, beating defending champion Alexander Zverev 6-1, 1-6, 6-3 to win a record-extending eighth Italian Open title.