Randall Cunningham II Might Turn Out Better Than the Original

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A few months back, the National Football Post had a little story about a high school quarterback from Las Vegas named Randall Cunningham II – your eyes do not deceive you, Randall has offspring. We picked it up, and the RC2 sensation began sweeping Philly.

Cunningham II is still in high school, but he’s already in the process of being elevated to national star. Michael Rosenberg has a great story today on The MMQB about how the elder Cunningham was probably 20 to 30 years ahead of his time, considering that zone-read systems such as Chip Kelly’s are all the craze in the NFL. It’s a fantastic reflection on what an amazing athlete AND quarterback he truly was, so you’ll no doubt enjoy the nostalgia factor alone.

But toward the end Rosenberg delves into Son of QB Eagles, who appears to be coming around at exactly the right time for having such a similar skill set to his father – not to mention Michael Vicks, Colin Kapernicks, and Russell Wilsons of the world. The scary thing though: RC2 could be better than RC1.

Better? How? [Hall of Famer Dan] Fouts says of the elder Cunningham: “As a runner, he reminds me a little bit of Kaepernick.” Quick says of the league’s young quarterbacks: “He could do more than most of these guys. I would compare him to the guy in San Francisco, but physically, he had more than that kid. And I think Kaepernick is extremely gifted. Randall could shake people, and if you tried to go low on him he would jump over people. He was like the plastic man the way he would keep his balance.”

It is hard for any quarterback to be better than Cunningham was. Yet he points out his son is taller and faster than he was in high school. Randall II’s best high jump in competition of 7 feet, 3 1/4 inches was the highest jump in the country last year, according to track site dyestat.com. Randall II does not throw quite as hard as his father did yet, but he understands the game better, because he has a pretty good teacher.

“His knowledge of the game is beyond what people realize,” Randall Sr. says. “He understands pass protections in the NFL because I taught him all that. Schemes, down and distance … I didn’t understand any of that. I learned it in the college and the pros.

Randall II has another advantage: He was born at the right time. He says Bishop Gorman has run the read-option on roughly a quarter of its plays this year. He also says, “I feel like I’m able to drop back and pass, and if I need to, I can continue the play if I have to.” When Baylor offered him a scholarship to play RG3’s position there, the coaches started calling him RC2.

At the end, Randall Jr. even gives his endorsement of Chip’s offense. Swoon.

Obviously we’re a few years away from seeing RC2 in the NFL, and if/when he makes it, there’s only a 1/32 shot he’s drafted by Philadelphia. It’s fun to think about, and I’m pretty sure I’m gonna be a fan of the kid almost regardless of where he winds up playing. Also though, the MMQB piece is largely about Randall Sr., so even if the sequel never dons the No. 12 in midnight green, we can still reminisce on the good times we had with the original.

>> Today’s Perfect Quarterback Played a Quarter-Century Ago [MMQB]

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