Melvin Cunningham

{{Short description|American football player and coach (born 1973)}}

{{Infobox NFL biography

| name = Melvin Cunningham

| image =

| number = 45, 17

| position = Defensive specialist

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1973|12|16}}

| birth_place = Huntington, West Virginia, U.S.

| height_ft = 5

| height_in = 10

| weight_lbs = 185

| high_school =

| college = Marshall

| undraftedyear = 1997

| pastteams =

Miami Dolphins ({{NFL Year|1997}})*
Tampa Bay Storm ({{AFL Year|1999}}–{{AFL Year|2003}})

| pastcoaching =

River Cities LocoMotives (2001) (DB)
Fairland High School (2015–2023) (HC)
Murray High School (Kentucky) (2023–present) (HC)

| highlights =

Second-team All-Arena (1999)
2× NCAA I-AA national champion (1992, 1996)

| aflstatlabel1 = Tackles

| aflstatvalue1 = 54

| aflstatlabel2 = Pass breakups

| aflstatvalue2 = 14

| aflstatlabel3 = Receptions

| aflstatvalue3 = 77

| aflstatlabel4 = Receiving yards

| aflstatvalue4 = 957

| aflstatlabel5 = Total TDs

| aflstatvalue5 = 15

| afl = 1964

}}

Melvin Cunningham (born December 16, 1973) is a former American football defensive specialist who played two seasons with the Tampa Bay Storm of the Arena Football League (AFL). He played college football at Marshall University. He was also a member of the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL).{{cite web|url=http://www.phins.com/personnel/droster97.June1.html |title=Players |publisher=phins.com |accessdate=May 4, 2015 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150505010636/http://www.phins.com/personnel/droster97.June1.html |archivedate=May 5, 2015 }}

College career

Cunningham played for the Marshall Thundering Herd from 1993 to 1996. He was an All-American and first team All-Southern Conference selection in 1995 and 1996. He recorded 3 interceptions, returning both for touchdowns, and 27 tackles his senior year in 1996.{{cite web|url=http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/mars/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/08-fb-guide-6.pdf |title=Marshall Football History |publisher=grfx.cstv.com |accessdate=May 4, 2015 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150505013949/http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/mars/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/08-fb-guide-6.pdf |archivedate=May 5, 2015 }}{{cite web|url=http://www.phins.com/news97/News_9704212218.html |title=Apr 21, 1997: -- Dolphins Get 11 More Rookies -- |publisher=phins.com |accessdate=May 4, 2015 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150505012230/http://www.phins.com/news97/News_9704212218.html |archivedate=May 5, 2015 }} The Thundering Herd won the Division I-AA national championship in 1996.{{cite web|url=http://www.galeforcedesign.com/stormshelter/players/cunningham.html |title=Melvin Cunningham |publisher=galeforcedesign.com |accessdate=May 4, 2015 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150505011708/http://www.galeforcedesign.com/stormshelter/players/cunningham.html |archivedate=May 5, 2015 }}

Professional career

Cunningham signed with the Miami Dolphins of the NFL on April 27, 1997 after going undrafted in the 1997 NFL draft. He was released by the Dolphins on August 12, 1997.{{cite web|url=http://www.phins.com/news97/News_9708121409.html |title=Aug 12, 1997: -- Nedney, Chris Gray and 5 Others Released -- |publisher=phins.com |accessdate=May 4, 2015 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150505012224/http://www.phins.com/news97/News_9708121409.html |archivedate=May 5, 2015 }}

Cunningham was signed by the AFL's Tampa Bay Storm during the 1999 off-season. He earned Second Team All-Arena honors in 1999.{{cite web | url=http://www.arenafan.com/players/?page=players&player=1964&pageview=bio | title=Melvin Cunningham | publisher=arenafan.com | accessdate=May 4, 2015}} He missed the 2000 and 2001 seasons due to injury.{{cite web|url=http://www.arenafan.com/news/?page=origcol&article=958 |title=To Melvin Cunningham |publisher=arenafan.com |accessdate=January 2, 2015 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20030330124710/http://www.arenafan.com/news/?page=origcol&article=958 |archivedate=March 30, 2003 }} He was placed on injured reserve on June 18, 2002. Cunningham was later placed on the injured exempt list on January 11, 2003. He was released by the Storm on November 6, 2003.{{cite web | url=http://www.arenafan.com/teams/?page=transactions&type=old&team=12 | title=Historical Team Transactions | publisher=arenafan.com | accessdate=May 4, 2015}}

Coaching career

Cunningham was defensive backs coach of the River Cities LocoMotives of the National Indoor Football League in 2001.

Cunningham became head coach of the Tug Valley High School Panthers of Mingo County, West Virginia in 2000.{{cite web | url=http://www.irontontribune.com/2015/02/01/fairland-hires-cunningham-as-new-head-football-coach/ | title=Fairland hires Cunningham as new head football coach | publisher=irontontribune.com | date=February 1, 2015 | accessdate=October 28, 2015 | author=Walker, Jim}} He was defensive coach for the Burch High School Bulldogs of Delbarton, West Virginia in 2010.

https://s3.amazonaws.com/wvmetro-uploads-prod/2014/05/Morrisey-Burch.pdf?x43308{{Dead link|date=December 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} {{Bare URL PDF|date=March 2022}} Cunningham became head coach of the Fairland High School Dragons of Proctorville, Ohio. The team went 0-10 in 2015 and 3-7 in 2016.{{cite web|url=http://www.joeeitel.com/hsfoot/teams.jsp?year=2015&teamID=556 |title=Fairland Dragons |publisher=joeeitel.com |accessdate=December 4, 2015 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20151204194859/http://www.joeeitel.com/hsfoot/teams.jsp?year=2015&teamID=556 |archivedate=December 4, 2015 }}{{cite web | url=https://rockyprep.com/oklahoma/team/fairland_ok/2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170227220757/https://rockyprep.com/oklahoma/team/fairland_ok/2016 | url-status=dead | archive-date=February 27, 2017 | title=2016 Fairland Owls Football Schedule | publisher=rockyprep.com | accessdate=February 27, 2017 }} 2021 season finished 10-2 with a loss in Ohio HS playoffs sweet sixteen round.{{Cite journal|last=Stephens|first=Tim|date=2021-11-14|title=Roughriders rough up dragons 33 -8|url=https://www.herald-dispatch.com/sports/roughriders-rough-up-dragons-33-8/article_f29f88b1-a5ab-5c50-97c1-5ac39cf7a669.html|journal=Herald Dispatch|volume=|issue=|pages=|doi=|issn=|pmid=}} In 2023, Cunningham resigned from his job at Fairland after he was named the Murray High School head football coach.{{Cite web |title=Melvin Cunningham Named Murray High School Head Football Coach |url=https://www.murray.kyschools.us/news/1765384/melvin-cunningham-named-murray-high-school-head-football-coach |access-date=2023-07-02 |website=www.murray.kyschools.us |language=en}}