Bogus Hero

Another star athlete gone bad

In Louisiana, Billy Cannon's fourth-quarter touchdown run against Ole Miss in 1959 is so famous that many fans can still trace the entire 89-yard route through Mississippi tacklers lined up on the bar. Louisiana State won the game, 7-3, and Cannon went on to win the Heisman Trophy. This year he was picked for the College Football Hall of Fame, but his induction is now on hold. Reason: Cannon pleaded guilty last week to a charge that he took part in a multimillion-dollar counterfeiting scheme.

The tale has a De Lorean sheen to it. Cannon, now 45, a successful orthodontist, married and the father of four, had long invested in real estate. But somewhere along the line the deals began to go sour. According to court records, Cannon has been sued for hundreds of thousands of dollars in bad debts since 1980 and owes more than $245,000 in promissory notes to a local bank.

Last week Assistant U.S. Attorney Rand Miller said five ice chests containing $4,750,200 in counterfeit $100 bills had been dug up and that Cannon was "one of the key individuals in arranging for the manufacture of the money and the sale of the money." Five other men were arrested in the case, including Bill Glasscock, president of Magnum Oil in Pensacola, Fla., and John Stiglets, a convicted counterfeiter who was once a member of the L.S.U. boxing team. By agreeing to cooperate with authorities, Cannon plea-bargained down to a single count of conspiracy to counterfeit, which carries a maximum of five years.

By reputation, the former halfback is a man who has cut a corner now and then. Coming out of college, Cannon signed with the Los Angeles Rams for $50,000, then decided to go for a far more lucrative contract with the Houston Oilers of the American Football League; the Rams sued but lost. Cannon had always lived well since college, though not seemingly beyond his means, so friends were surprised at the revelation of his criminality.

Other heroes may also be in for some tarnishing. Last week reports came that after a yearlong investigation, federal charges involving cocaine possession may be brought against five Dallas Cowboys, among them Tony Dorsett. Three weeks ago, when Kansas City Chief Running Back Joe Delaney drowned trying to rescue two boys, it seemed a shining reminder of what Sunday's heroes are supposed to be. Last week reality was back. This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so viewer discretion is required.