Sam Boyd Stadium memory: Randall Cunningham’s number retired in 1984

Note: This is the third installment of a weekly feature, except for UNLV’s two bye weeks, that will look at a notable Rebels game at Sam Boyd Stadium. UNLV moves to Allegiant Stadium next year.

Teams usually retire numbers after a player has, well, retired.

That wasn’t the case in 1984 when UNLV decided to retire quarterback Randall Cunningham’s No. 12. The Rebels held the ceremony at halftime of the Dec. 1 game against No. 10 Southern Methodist, a game Cunningham was quarterbacking at the time.

SMU dominated, winning 38-21 to hand the Rebels just their second loss in an 11-2 season. All of which could help to explain the glum look on coach Harvey Hyde’s face in a photo of the retirement ceremony and the far-from-happy expression from Cunningham.

But UNLV’s decision to retire Cunningham’s number while he was still an active player spoke to his enormous impact on the program. His is the only retired number in the football program, and his play at UNLV earned him an induction in 2016 into the College Football Hall of Fame.

Cunningham, who would go on to a 16-year NFL career after being drafted in the second round in 1985 by the Philadelphia Eagles, is considered the greatest player in Rebels history.

His 8,020 yards passing from 1982 to 1984 still rank first, and Cunningham’s 45.6-yard punting average also remains UNLV’s best. Cunningham was such a strong punter that he was named a first-team All-American at the position in 1983 and a second-teamer in 1984. He was an honorable mention All-American at quarterback in 1983.

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Contact reporter Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com. Follow @markanderson65 on Twitter.