Ian Cunningham has achieved a goal he set for himself nearly two decades ago. In 2007, as a starting offensive lineman for the University of Virginia, Cunningham told Richmond Times-Dispatch staff writer Jeff White, “People tell me I should go to law school. I have teachers telling me I should go to business school and things like that. I don’t know. I’m going to see how long I can play football, and the good Lord willing, I can play for a little while longer. Then, after that, I want to become general manager for a professional football team.”
His father, Louis Cunningham, supported his son’s ambition at the time: “If history holds true,” Louis said, “he’ll be a general manager, if not an owner, of a team.”
After playing college football at Virginia with 31 starts along the interior line, mostly at guard, Cunningham briefly pursued a professional playing career. He signed with the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent in 2008 but soon shifted focus from playing to management.
Cunningham began his executive career with the Baltimore Ravens as a player personnel assistant and held that role for five seasons before becoming an area scout until 2016. He moved up the ranks by joining the Philadelphia Eagles in 2017 as director of college scouting and later became director of player personnel in 2021. His most recent position was assistant general manager for the Chicago Bears under Ryan Poles.
Now, Cunningham has been named general manager of the Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons are based in Atlanta, Georgia and compete in the NFL’s NFC South division. Founded in 1965 as an expansion franchise, they have reached the Super Bowl twice—in 1998 and again in 2016—and Freddie the Falcon is their mascot (https://www.atlantafalcons.com/).
Reflecting on Cunningham’s college years and his transition into leadership roles off the field, former Virginia head coach Al Groh commented in December 2007: “It really will be different without Ian around here, and not just from a physical standpoint,” Groh said. “He’s always been mature for his age. … Another way of putting it is, Ian’s very ready to go into the big world as a real adult.”
Cunningham’s journey from player to executive comes full circle with his appointment as general manager of an NFL team—fulfilling both his own aspirations and those once predicted by his father.