LSU To Honor Football Great Billy Cannon With On Campus Statue
If you mention the name Billy Cannon to any true LSU fan they will stop in their tracks and offer a moment of reverence. Billy Cannon was a great college football player in his day. I am willing to bet that with his physical skills and knowledge of the game Billy Cannon would be a pretty darn good football player by today's standards too.
Cannon's epic punt return on Halloween night in 1959 is the stuff that legends are made of. I think he broke seven tackles on his way to the end zone that night. It was the only touchdown scored in the game and it gave undefeated LSU a 7-3 victory over undefeated and arch rival Ole Miss.
Dr. Billy Cannon turned 80 just a few days ago and the timing of an announcement from the LSU Hall of Fame Athletic Committee couldn't have been more perfect. That body announced that a statue of the Tiger great would be erected on campus in Baton Rouge.
Dr. Cannon now resides in St. Francisville with his wife Dorothy. He continues his work in dentistry as Director of Dentistry at the Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola. The funding for the statue of Dr. Cannon will be provided by private donations. Details on the design and construction of the statue will be announced in the coming months.