The Animal

In the sultry night air, the chant from the Louisiana State fans was plaintive and profane: "Go to hell, Ole Miss, go to hell." Down on the field at Baton Rouge's Tiger Stadium, Mississippi not only had a 3-0 lead in the fourth quarter, but was insolently twisting the L.S.U. Tiger's tail. So confident was the Mississippi quarterback of his team's defense that he was kicking on first down, hoping that tired L.S.U. would fumble deep in its own territory.

Finally a bowlegged halfback in a white and gold L.S.U. jersey plucked a bouncing punt out of the air on his 11, and All-America Billy Cannon set out for glory. He shrugged off one red-jerseyed tackier, ran right over a second. At midfield, Cannon surprised Mississippi's Fullback Charlie Flowers by cutting back instead of trying to go to the outside. (Admitted Flowers, an all-America candidate himself: "It was like a high school player trying to tackle an All-America. He went through my hands like nothing.") Cannon was all by himself when he hit the end zone. Final score: L.S.U. 7, Mississippi 3.

Unbeaten Mississippi was L.S.U.'s biggest hurdle, and the victory extended the team's streak to 19 games, all but cinched a Sugar Bowl invitation and a national championship. As always, L.S.U. played just well enough to win. As usual, the man who supplied the clutch play was Billy Abb Cannon, 22, one of the most remarkable athletes around.

Cannon, whose father works as a custodian in a Louisiana State dormitory, sold pop and peanuts at L.S.U. football games as a kid, naturally enrolled at the university desoite the 50 offers he drew as a high school All-America. A predental student (B average) with a wife and three daughters, Cannon may well be the strongest fast man, or the fastest strong man, in the world. Square and solid (6 ft. 1 in., 207 Ibs.), he puts the shot 54 ft. 4 1/2 in. (world record: 63 ft. 4 in.), rips off the hundred in 9.4 sec. (world record: 9.3 sec.). What is more, Cannon can also block with power, is at his best under pressure: "Man, I don't like to get beat." Summed up L.S.U.'s Tackle Bo Strange: "When you need it, that animal is there. Cannon won't get 100 touchdowns against Podunk. But he'll get the big one against someone like Ole Miss."

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.