Coroner IDs Randall Cunningham’s toddler son in apparent drowning

Staff and wire reports

Published Wednesday, June 30, 2010 | 6:55 a.m.

Updated Wednesday, June 30, 2010 | 10:01 a.m.

The toddler son of former NFL star quarterback and UNLV Rebel Randall Cunningham has died in what authorities on Wednesday called an apparent backyard hot tub accident.

The Clark County Coroner's Office this morning identified the boy as 2-year-old Christian Cunningham. The coroner hadn't made a ruling on the cause of death.

Metro Police spokesman Marcus Martin said the death appeared to have been an accidental drowning, but authorities were still investigating.

Cunningham, 47, is an ordained minister and pastor of a church six blocks off Las Vegas Boulevard that he runs with his wife, Felicity. Christian Cunningham was the youngest of their four children.

Cunningham was out of town Tuesday taking a physical for the NFL as part of his league retirement plan.

It was the first weekday since January he wasn't at Silverado High, where he is part of the football staff.

Martin said police were called about 5 p.m. Tuesday to Cunningham's home in the 300 block of East Robindale Road after an adult at the house with several other children found the boy in the hot tub and began trying to resuscitate him.

The child was pronounced dead less than an hour later at St. Rose Dominican Hospital Siena campus in Henderson.

At UNLV, Cunningham threw for 59 touchdowns and more than 8,000 yards. He followed that with a 16-year NFL career where he totaled nearly 30,000 passing yards and more than 200 touchdowns. He was a Pro Bowl pick four times.

Cunningham returned to UNLV and earned his bachelor's degree in 2004 in leisure studies. He said at the time he wanted to set a good example for his children.