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LSU set to unveil Billy Cannon statue on Sept. 28 at Tiger Stadium
By Jake Rill
Published:
Billy Cannon is the only LSU player to win the Heisman Trophy. And now, the late Cannon will be commemorated at Tiger Stadium.
LSU announced on Wednesday that it will unveil a statue of Cannon on Friday, Sept. 28, the night before the Tigers host Ole Miss. The unveiling is open to the public and will take place at the Championship Plaza, located on the west side of Tiger Stadium, at 6:30 p.m. CT.
Cannon led LSU to the national championship in 1958, then won the Heisman Trophy the following year. His No. 20 jersey was retired by the school in 1959.
“It’s fitting that Dr. Cannon will be the first and, so far, only football player at LSU immortalized in this way,” LSU vice chancellor and director of athletics Joe Alleva said in a press release. “He and the 1958 team helped put LSU football on the map as a national powerhouse.”
The statue was unanimously approved by the LSU Athletic Hall of Fame Committee in August 2017.
Over his three-year career from 1957-59, Cannon rushed for 1,867 yards and 24 touchdowns, while also totaling 522 receiving yards and a pair of receiving scores. He was inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in 1976.
After his football career, Cannon went on to become the Director of Dentistry at the Louisiana State Penitentiary, a position he held until his retirement in January.
Cannon died on May 20.
Jake Rill contributes to news coverage for Saturday Down South. He has covered the SEC since 2016.
