[2] He played college football for the USC Trojans, where he earned first-team All-American honors and was the MVP of the 1973 Rose Bowl.

Selected in the first round of the 1973 NFL draft by the Patriots, Cunningham became the franchise's all-time leading rusher.

[5] Cunningham was recruited to the University of Southern California (USC) by future College Football Hall of Fame coach John McKay.

[4] Cunningham was legendary for leaping over the top of the offensive line, fearlessly launching himself over the pile, and then landing in the end zone.

[3] His performance in the game was reportedly a factor in convincing the University of Alabama and its fans to let Coach Bear Bryant integrate Southern football.

Jerry Claiborne, a former Bryant assistant, said, "Sam Cunningham did more to integrate Alabama in 60 minutes than Martin Luther King Jr. did in 20 years.

[3] In only his second year, 1974, Cunningham gained 811 yards and nine touchdowns as he led the New England Patriots to a surprising 5–0 start before faltering to a 7–7 finish.

[16] Cunningham was an integral part of the 1978 Patriots, who set an NFL record for rushing yards as a team with 3,165.

[22] He is second in team history in rushing touchdowns (43), and fifth in scoring among non-kickers, with all four of those players ahead of him being pass receivers.

[8] After retirement, Cunningham moved to Inglewood, California with his wife Cine, and they raised a daughter, Samahndi.