Grüße und Vorstellung » living on the Detroit

Billy Cannon Dan Skuta Jersey , a legendary Heisman Trophy winner at LSU who would later become an all-star in the American Football League, has died at the age of 80.

Cannon is best remembered for his career at LSU, where he led the Tigers to the national championship in 1958 and won the Heisman Trophy in 1959. His all-around contributions to the team were almost impossible for fans of today’s brand of football to comprehend: He was the team’s top runner, receiver, defensive back, punter, kicker, punt returner and kickoff returner. On Halloween in 1959, with LSU trailing 3-0, Cannon returned a punt 89 yards for a touchdown to give the Tigers a 7-3 lead in the fourth quarter. He then made the game-saving tackle on defense at the 1-yard line to preserve the victory.

Cannon was the undisputed top player in college football and coveted by both the NFL and the upstart AFL, and he signed contracts with both the NFL’s Rams and the AFL’s Houston Oilers. A legal battle ensued, and he persuaded a judge that Rams General Manager Pete Rozelle had tricked him into signing a contract he didn’t understand Nyheim Hines Jersey , freeing him to play in the AFL and give that league some newfound legitimacy.

With the Oilers Cannon made an instant impact, helping the Oilers get to the first AFL championship game and gaining 259 all-purpose yards in that game to become the game’s MVP. In 1961 Cannon led the AFL with 948 rushing yards and 2,043 all-purpose yards. Cannon would spend four years with the Oilers, six with the Raiders and one final season with the Chiefs.

For all his success on the field, Cannon had plenty of problems off the field. He was convicted of theft in high school, and after retiring from football he went to prison for counterfeiting.

Despite those off-field issues, however, Cannon was a beloved figure particularly in Louisiana, where he remains considered by many the greatest player ever to play at LSU. And his Halloween punt return will live as an LSU legend forever.

When you play for the Detroit Lions, you can be from Canada and still be considered local.

Luke Willson, a tight end who signed with the Lions two months ago after five seasons with Seattle, is from Windsor Tom Waddle Jersey , Ontario, right across the Detroit River from the Motor City. He grew up a Lions fan, although that’s not his only motivation to play well after returning to the area.

”I was a big Barry Sanders guy. When I was a kid, it was kind of like the Herman Moore, Barry Sanders,” Willson said this week. ”I was a youngster, but I’ve always kind of, you know, liked the Lions growing up. But that being said I think it’s important for me to establish a divide. Yeah it was my childhood team, but I’m here to do a job.”

It’s been a fairly quiet offseason for the Lions where free agency is concerned, but Willson was an interesting pickup, especially after Detroit cut ties with tight end Eric Ebron. A former first-round draft pick http://www.chicagobearsteamonline.com/johnthan-banks-jersey , Ebron became a target for Lions fans for dropping passes, but he did provide production that Detroit needs to replace. He caught 186 passes over the past four years, including 53 for 574 yards and four touchdowns last season.

In five seasons with Seattle, the 6-foot-5 Willson never had more than 22 catches, but the Seahawks have had other tight ends to throw to like Jimmy Graham and Zach Miller, so Willson may be capable of more.

”I really try to pride myself on being able to do whatever they ask,” Willson said. ”You know, my first year we had Zach Miller, I was more the down-the-seam tight end, and Zach got hurt and you know, I had to quickly learn to be more the hand-down type guy. I think that’s kind of benefited me in my career because I feel comfortable doing whatever they ask me to do.”

Willson said at this stage of the offseason, it’s too early to tell what exactly his role will be with the Lions.

”I’m here to do whatever the coaches ask me and right now Art Monk Jersey , you know with all the CBA rules, it’s personally just about getting better each day,” he said. ”A lot of individual stuff for me that I can get better and just showing the coaches what I can do, and then from there they’ll decide what role I’ll be playing this year.”

Despite the proximity to the U.S., Willson said the quality of high school football where he grew up wasn’t great. He played on a summer team he likened to AAU basketball. He ended up playing college football at Rice, and he was drafted by the Seahawks in the fifth round in 2013.

He has carved out a decent NFL career for himself since then, and now he has a chance to come back and play close to home – although it sounds like he’ll be living on the Detroit side of the river now.

”Got to shield myself from those Canadian taxes, man,” he said. ”Come on, now. Can’t be doing that. Can’t be doing that.”

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