Cunningham Out for the Season
Aug 19 | Football
DALLAS, TEXAS -- SMU senior wide receiver Chris Cunningham will miss the 2002 football season. X-rays today revealed that Cunningham broke two bones in his left foot during the Mustangs' scrimmage on Saturday night.
"I feel sick for Chris," said SMU head coach Phil Bennett. "He is such a good kid and had been working so hard. We were expecting good things from him this year."
Cunningham, the Ponies' leading receiver last season with 45 catches for 516 yards and seven touchdowns, will undergo surgery to insert two pins in his foot later this week.
"I am disappointed," said Cunningham. "I was really looking forward to playing for Coach Bennett and helping turn things around this year. I'll do anything I can to help the other receivers out this season and focus on my rehab so I can get back out on the field next year."
"He was our most experienced receiver and we will certainly miss him," said Bennett. "This gives some other guys, though, the opportunity to step up. (Seniors) Cody (Cardwell) and Johnnie (Freeman) are experienced players and we have some young guys out there in Jay Taylor, Trey Griffin, Cedric Vinson and Daniel Francis that have the potential to be very good."
Cunningham played as a true freshman in 1999 and will use his redshirt this fall. He should be ready for spring practice and will play in the fall of 2003. He ranks among SMU's career leaders in receptions (seventh, 129), receiving yardage (ninth, 1,530) and TD catches (sixth, 13).
