Cookie Cunningham
Encyclopedia
Harold Brewer "Cookie" Cunningham (February 4, 1905 - November 3, 1995) was an American
professional football
player, basketball
player, and basketball coach.
A two-sport athlete at Ohio State University
, he started playing both football and basketball on the professional level in 1926. He started his professional football career by playing end for the Cleveland Panthers
of the first American Football League. After the folding of the AFL, he played the same position for the Cleveland Bulldogs
(1927), Chicago Bears
(1929), and the Staten Island Stapletons
(1931) of the National Football League
. In the same five year span, Cunningham also played center
for the Cleveland Rosenblums
(American Basketball League) and the Toledo Red Men (National Basketball League
).
coach, first on the collegiate level before becoming a player-coach in the National Basketball League (Columbus Athletic Supply, 1937-1938). He subsequently returned to the college ranks, coaching for Washington and Lee University
(1939-1942) and the University of North Dakota
(1946-1948).
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player, and basketball coach.
A two-sport athlete at Ohio State University
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
, he started playing both football and basketball on the professional level in 1926. He started his professional football career by playing end for the Cleveland Panthers
Cleveland Panthers
The Cleveland Panthers were a professional American football team that competed in the first American Football League in 1926. Owned by General C. X. Zimmerman , the Panthers played their home games in Luna Bowl in Luna Park...
of the first American Football League. After the folding of the AFL, he played the same position for the Cleveland Bulldogs
Cleveland Bulldogs
The Cleveland Bulldogs was a team that played in Cleveland, Ohio in the National Football League. They were originally called the Indians in 1923, not to be confused with the Cleveland Indians NFL franchise in 1922...
(1927), Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
(1929), and the Staten Island Stapletons
Staten Island Stapletons
The Staten Island Stapletons also known as the Staten Island Stapes were a professional American football team founded in 1915 that played in the National Football League from 1929 to 1930. The team was based in the Stapleton section of Staten Island. Under the shortened nickname the "Stapes"...
(1931) of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. In the same five year span, Cunningham also played center
Center (basketball)
The center, colloquially known as the five or the post, is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. The center is normally the tallest player on the team, and often has a great deal of strength and body mass as well...
for the Cleveland Rosenblums
Cleveland Rosenblums
The Cleveland Rosenblums was an American basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio that was one of the original members of the American Basketball League...
(American Basketball League) and the Toledo Red Men (National Basketball League
National Basketball League (United States)
Founded in 1937, the National Basketball League, often abbreviated to NBL, was a professional men's basketball league in the United States. The league would later merge with the Basketball Association of America to form the National Basketball Association in 1949.- League history :The...
).
Coaching career
Subsequently he became a baseballBaseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
coach, first on the collegiate level before becoming a player-coach in the National Basketball League (Columbus Athletic Supply, 1937-1938). He subsequently returned to the college ranks, coaching for Washington and Lee University
Washington and Lee University
Washington and Lee University is a private liberal arts college in Lexington, Virginia, United States.The classical school from which Washington and Lee descended was established in 1749 as Augusta Academy, about north of its present location. In 1776 it was renamed Liberty Hall in a burst of...
(1939-1942) and the University of North Dakota
University of North Dakota
The University of North Dakota is a public university in Grand Forks, North Dakota, USA. Established by the Dakota Territorial Assembly in 1883, six years before the establishment of the state of North Dakota, UND is the oldest and largest university in the state and enrolls over 14,000 students. ...
(1946-1948).