Malik Cunningham, former quarterback for the University of Louisville Cardinals, is setting his sights on the NFL. Cunningham is slated to participate in the upcoming NFL Combine in Indianapolis and will showcase his skills at a Pro Day event at U of L in late March. His goal is to pique the interest of NFL teams and hopefully get drafted in April.
If the NFL doesn’t come calling, however, Cunningham has a backup plan. On Tuesday, he was selected as the #22 pick in the USFL draft by the Birmingham Stallions. While players taken in the USFL Draft are not obligated to sign a contract, the Stallions are the reigning champions of the league. Cunningham, who hails from nearby Montgomery, Alabama, could find success with the team.
Cunningham played in a total of 49 games during his time at U of L and is one of the top quarterbacks in the school’s history. Despite missing several games in his senior season due to injuries, he managed to put up impressive stats. Last season, Cunningham threw for 1,568 yards and eight touchdowns, while also rushing for 565 yards and 12 touchdowns.
The senior quarterback missed one game due to concussion-like symptoms, but he returned to lead the Cardinals to several victories. He guided the team to wins over Pittsburgh, Wake Forest, and James Madison. However, he suffered a left-hand injury during the James Madison game and played the rest of the season with his hand heavily taped up.
In his last game of the season against Clemson, Cunningham was hit in the right shoulder and had to leave the game. Nonetheless, he still put up impressive numbers in the first half of the game, running five times for 20 yards and completing 10 of 13 passes for 75 yards.
Cunningham’s performance in his college career has left a mark on the University of Louisville. He ranks third in career rushing yards with 3,184, behind only Lamar Jackson and Walter Peacock. Additionally, he threw for 9,664 yards, ranking fourth in career history behind Chris Redman, Brian Brohm, and Teddy Bridgewater.
Cunningham also holds or shares nine school records, demonstrating his prowess as a top-performing quarterback. He completed his time at U of L with 70 passing touchdowns and 50 rushing touchdowns, ranking fifth in passing TDs behind Redman, Dave Ragone, Bridgewater, and Brohm, and tying Jackson’s record for rushing touchdowns. He even broke Jackson’s school record for touchdowns responsible for during his career, with 120 to Jackson’s 119.
The USFL Draft also saw another player with U of L ties being selected. Justin Ford, who played on the Louisville roster and later ended his career at Montana, was picked as the No. 10 player by the Houston Gamblers.
