Cornelius Bonner was born on January 9, 1976 and raised in Gafney, South Carolina. His college football career was as a wide receiver for the Cincinnati Bearcats, where he led the Cats to a 35-19 victory in the 1997 Humanitarian Bowl over Utah State. He last played football as a wide receiver playing for the Cleveland Gladiators in the Arena Football League (AFL). Bonner is a 6 feet tall and 190 pounds receiver played college football for the University of Cincinnati.

Bonner has had a distinguished 10 year career where he played, both as a defensive specialist and two way player on offense and defense, on 5 different teams in the AFL: Chicago Rush (2001-2003), Las Vegas Gladiators (2004-2005), Nashville Kats (2006, 2007), Grand Rapids Rampage (2007), Cleveland Gladiators (2008) and finally for the Georgia Force (2009). He wore jersey number 8 with the Cleveland Gladiators

In 2007 Bonner had career highs in both receptions (102), receiving yards (1,436) and touchdowns (29) playing with the Grand Rapids Rampage and previously won the ADT Defensive Player of the Week while with the Las Vegas Gladiators in May of 2004 and Ironman Offensive Player of the Week in 2006 with the Kats when he lead the teams to a 53-27 win over the Columbus Destroyers.

One of his career highlights came in week 3 of the 2006 season while playing with the Kats when the Kats lost a heart breaker at Chicago in the league’s first overtime game of the season. Nashville dominated statistically but was only able to get the game into OT on a hook-and-lateral play that sent Bonner into the end zone on the the final play of regulation.

Bonner was a religious man who took R&B singer and former teammate, Chameion, under his wing. He was nicknamed “Corn Bread.”