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Denison University senior Daniel Cunningham, a 2021 Rockbridge County High School graduate who played football and soccer for the Wildcats, became the school’s first recipient of the North Coast Athletic Conference special teams player of the year award earlier this month.
As a kicker and punter for the football team at the Division III school in Granville, Ohio, Cunningham collected both his second and third allconference certificates this season. He claimed a spot on the top team as a kicker and a second-team selection as a punter. He was also named to the D3football.com All-Region First Team. He collected third-team allconference laurels as a kicker in 2022.
The 6-foot, 165-pound senior, who helped the Big Red go 6-4 overall this season, including 6-2 in the NCAC, was tabbed the league’s top specialteams athlete after converting all seven of his field goal attempts, going 38-for-41 in point after attempts and recording 59 points for the Big Red this season.
Cunningham ended the season tied at the top for the longest field goal after nailing a 48-yarder at Wooster on Oct. 12, just three yards shy of his career best. The senior recorded three seasons with at least five field goals made, ending his collegiate career going 18-for-25 on field goals. Cunningham missed just seven extra points in his career, totaling 132 makes overall.
Nearly half of his kickoffs (28-of-57) resulted in touchbacks. He averaged 61.9 yards per kickoff. He also made his mark as a punter, averaging 40.8 yards per punt. He placed an NCAC-best 15 punts inside the 20 while 13 of his attempts resulted in fair catches. Two of Cunningham’s punts traveled more than 50 yards, which included his season long boot of 60 yards in a win versus Kenyon.
When Cunningham was a senior for then-head coach Mark Poston at RC, he helped the Wildcats go 6-1 and win the Valley District title in the spring 2021 season, delayed from the previous fall and condensed due to COVID-19.
At Denison, Cunningham is majoring in Global Commerce.
