John Cannady
Encyclopedia
John Hanley Cannady was an American football
linebacker
in the National Football League
for the New York Giants
. He played college football
at Indiana University and was drafted
in the third round of the 1947 NFL Draft
.The first professional football player from Charleston SC, known as "Big John" he was the New York Giants second round draft pick in 1947 and played from 1947 to 1954. A teammate of Frank Gifford from 1952 to 1954, Big John was a member of the New York Giants’ 1950 team that finished with a 10-2 record and tied for first place in the American Conference. He played in the league’s Pro Bowl game in 1950 and 1952. He played the first NFL Pro Bowl and was twice named All-Pro in 1951 and 1955. He was voted the most outstanding player in the NFL in 1951. Big John was a member of the National Football League Players Association, and Indiana University Members Association. He was named to the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame in 1991, and to the Post and Courier’s list of South Carolina’s 100 greatest athletes of the 20th century.
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...
linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
in 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...
for the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Indiana University and was drafted
NFL Draft
The National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...
in the third round of the 1947 NFL Draft
1947 NFL Draft
The 1947 National Football League Draft was held on December 16, 1946.The National Football League in this draft made the first overall pick a bonus pick determined by lottery. The Chicago Bears won the first lottery...
.The first professional football player from Charleston SC, known as "Big John" he was the New York Giants second round draft pick in 1947 and played from 1947 to 1954. A teammate of Frank Gifford from 1952 to 1954, Big John was a member of the New York Giants’ 1950 team that finished with a 10-2 record and tied for first place in the American Conference. He played in the league’s Pro Bowl game in 1950 and 1952. He played the first NFL Pro Bowl and was twice named All-Pro in 1951 and 1955. He was voted the most outstanding player in the NFL in 1951. Big John was a member of the National Football League Players Association, and Indiana University Members Association. He was named to the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame in 1991, and to the Post and Courier’s list of South Carolina’s 100 greatest athletes of the 20th century.