Former LSU football player Billy Cannon, famously noted for his role in the 1958 national championship, has died at the age of 80.
Cannon died in his home Sunday morning, an LSU football spokesperson announced.
Billy Cannon passed away peacefully in his home early Sunday morning. He was 80 years old. The entire #LSU family mourns with the Cannons and his loved ones. He will never be forgotten. #20 pic.twitter.com/pCcCbPTmEG
— LSU Football (@LSUfootball) May 20, 2018
The football star was a two-time All-American and LSU’s only Heisman Trophy winner, earning the title in 1959, The Advocate reports.
We are saddened to learn of the passing of @LSUfootball legend Billy Cannon. He was one of the great halfbacks of his era. He will be missed. #Heisman #legend #20 #LSU #Tigers https://t.co/Sz58HVOl7L pic.twitter.com/mARObzGO0a
— The Heisman Trophy (@HeismanTrophy) May 20, 2018
Governor John Bel Edwards released the following statement on his death:
"Donna and I are saddened to hear of the death of one of the greatest athletes in Louisiana history, Billy Cannon. On October 31, 1959, Billy completed one of the most iconic plays in LSU football history against Ole Miss, resulting in him receiving the Heisman Trophy. Nearly 60 years later, Louisianans still talk about that Halloween night. 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. After his football career, Billy returned home to Louisiana to practice dentistry with the Department of Corrections. To put it simply, he was one of a kind. We would ask all Louisianans to join their prayers to ours for Billy’s wife and his entire family."
For more about his life, click here.
