Sam Cunningham Relives 1970 USC-Alabama Game

Описание: As No. 20 USC prepares to play No. 1 Alabama to kick off the 2016 football season, former Trojan All-American fullback Sam Cunningham (1970-‘72) spoke with Annenberg Media Sports’ Connor McGlynn about his experience playing the Crimson Tide in one of the most historic college football games ever.

On Sept. 12, 1970, USC traveled to Birmingham, Alabama to take on the Crimson Tide in a game that transcended the gridiron. That matchup marked the first time a fully-integrated football team, USC, entered the south to take on Alabama, an all-white program.

As a sophomore under the tutelage of head coach John McKay, Cunningham became a star—tallying 135 yards and two touchdowns on just 12 carries in his first collegiate game. USC defeated Alabama 42-21, but the tally on the scoreboard wasn’t the real win; after seeing the abilities of Cunningham and his teammates, Alabama fans began to understand that a racial barrier did not belong. The following year John Mitchell became the first African-American to play a game at Alabama.

Cunningham spoke with McGlynn about the divided receptions the Trojans had from the white and black crowds in Alabama and the lasting impact that the 1970 game has had on sports. Cunningham will represent USC as an honorary team captain Saturday, 46 years after, as one former Crimson Tide coach said, “doing more to integrate the south in 60 minutes than Martin Luther King did in 20 years.”

USC and Alabama will kick off at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX Saturday at 5:00 p.m.

(Originally published on uscannenbergmedia.com)