Springfield, Ohio — What started out as an opportunity to play one final football game before National Football League (NFL) scouts has turned into something of a barnstorming tour for Wittenberg wide receiver Brendon Cunningham (Kettering, Ohio/Fairmont).
After catching seven passes for 116 yards and a touchdown in the fifth annual D3 Senior Classic on Friday, Dec. 13, in Salem, Va., Cunningham was named the game’s Most Valuable Player. As a result, Cunningham earned an invitation to participate in the FCS Senior Scout Bowl, which takes place at 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 21, at Doug Shaw Stadium in Myrtle Beach, SC.
Like the D3 Senior Classic, the FCS Senior Scout Bowl is presented by the Collegiate Development Football League (CDFL). Players from Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) programs around the country have been selected to represent either the North or South teams.
The FCS Senior Bowl will be available live on the Internet on a pay-per-view basis at: http://www.cdflbowlgames.com/fcs-senior-scout-bowl-1.html. All proceeds from the Internet broadcast will be donated to the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, A pediatric treatment and research facility focused on children’s catastrophic diseases located in Memphis, Tenn.
Cunningham finished the 2013 season with 63 catches for 1,189 yards and 13 touchdowns, each of which rank second in program history. He finished his career with 172 receptions, which ranks third in school history, 2,870 yards, which ranks second, and 30 touchdowns, which ranks second. Cunningham earned first-team All-North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) in 2013 after a pair of second-team designations in previous years.
Cunningham has also been invited to play in the second annual Dream Bowl on Monday, Jan. 20, at the Virginia Beach Sportsplex in Virginia Beach, Va. He will be joined in that game by senior quarterback Reed Florence (South Charleston, Ohio/Southeastern) and senior wide receiver Desi Kirkman (Lima, Ohio/Central Catholic).
The Dream Bowl is organized by Cutting Edge Sports Management. Between Jan. 17 and Jan. 20, players will go through an NFL-style combine and participate in four practices leading up to the game. An Internet broadcast of the game will be available at: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/star-cast-productions.
Florence put together one of the finest seasons in the storied history of Wittenberg football en route to NCAC Offensive Player of the Year honors in 2013. He threw for school-record totals of 3,366 yards and 38 touchdowns, which is also an NCAC record, while completing more than 64 percent of his passes and finishing in the top five nationally in pass efficiency rating. In addition, Florence ran for 376 yards while setting the Wittenberg record for career rushing yards by a quarterback, and he finished with 74 career passing touchdowns, breaking the nearly 50-year-old mark established by National College Football Hall of Fame inductee Charlie Green.
Kirkman was the Tigers' third-leading receiver with 37 catches for 746 yards. He led Wittenberg with 20.2 yards per catch, and he hauled in 12 touchdown receptions. In addition, Kirkman ranked among the best in the country as a punt returner, averaging 16.1 yards per return, highlighted by a 90-yard score against Lebanon Valley in the first round of the NCAA Division III Tournament.
Wittenberg bounced back from a season-opening loss to NCAA Division I FCS opponent Butler to win its fourth NCAC title in the last five years and league-best 12th since joining the league in 1989. The Tigers advanced to the second round of the 2013 NCAA Division III Tournament before losing to defending national champion Mount Union on Nov. 30 to finish with records of 10-2 overall and 9-0 in the NCAC.
Written By: Ryan Maurer