DALLAS — Seven individuals, including late LSU football coach Charles McClendon, who helped shape the tradition of the SBC Cotton Bowl and college football history were inducted into the SBC Cotton Bowl Hall of Fame on Tuesday.
SBC Communications, Inc., and the Cotton Bowl Athletic Association honored the “Class of 2003” on the steps of the historic Cotton Bowl Stadium in Fair Park. The inductees included former Dallas civic leader and former CBAA Chairman Robert B. Cullum, Mississippi quarterback Eagle Day, Georgia tailback Kent Lawrence, LSU head coach Charles McClendon, SMU halfback Kyle Rote, Notre Dame quarterback Joe Theismann, and Texas fullback Steve Worster.
Each member of the Hall of Fame received a personalized bronze statue in the likeness of a 1930’s football player, the era in which the Cotton Bowl was founded.
“The SBC Cotton Bowl Hall of Fame honors the many extraordinary individuals who have played a role in developing the tradition, pageantry and prestige of one of college football’s most historic post-season bowl games,” said Fin Ewing III, Chairman, Cotton Bowl Athletic Association. “We believe that the SBC Cotton Bowl Hall of Fame provides future generations with a greater appreciation for the rich tradition of college football on New Year’s Day here in Texas.”
Brad Sham, “The Voice of the SBC Cotton Bowl,” and “The Voice of the Dallas Cowboys,” served as the event’s Master of Ceremonies. Eagle Day, Kent Lawrence, Joe Theismann and Steve Worster attended the ceremony. Robert B. Cullum, Charles McClendon and Kyle Rote were inducted posthumously.
A 35-member judging committee comprised of media representatives and athletic administrators voted from a list of 52 original nominees that included players, coaches, bowl administrators and others who have made special contributions to the Classic.
Selection criteria for the SBC Cotton Bowl Hall of Fame include the following:
Voting is based solely upon an individual’s performance in, or contribution to, the Classic rather than on the person’s college or professional career.
An individual is eligible five years after his final Classic appearance.
“The SBC Cotton Bowl Hall of Fame provides the perfect opportunity to properly and permanently recognize these heroes and unique personalities who helped establish the Classic as one of college football’s premier events,” said John Stankey, President and CEO of SBC Southwest. “Over the past few years, the SBC Cotton Bowl Hall of Fame has become home to a virtual Who’s Who of college football legends.”
The Class of 2003 is the fifth to be inducted into the SBC Cotton Bowl Hall of Fame. The inaugural Class of 1998 included Syracuse halfback Jim Brown, Texas quarterback Bobby Layne, Rice halfback Dicky Maegle, Texas coach Darrell Royal, Cotton Bowl Founder J. Curtis Sanford, “Mr. Cotton Bowl” Field Scovell, and SMU halfback Doak Walker.
The Class of 1999 featured TCU quarterback Sammy Baugh, Arkansas coach Frank Broyles, Kilgore Rangerettes founder Gussie Nell Davis, Houston linebacker David Hodge, Cotton Bowl Team Selection Chairman Felix McKnight, and Texas quarterback James Street.
The Class of 2000 honored Alabama and Kentucky coach Paul “Bear” Bryant, Texas quarterback Duke Carlisle, Texas A&M linebacker Johnny Holland, Texas A&M fullback John Kimbrough, longtime network announcer Lindsey Nelson, Navy quarterback Roger Staubach, and TCU halfback Jim Swink.
The Class of 2001 recognized Texas defensive tackle Scott Appleton, Syracuse halfback Ernie Davis, Miami defensive tackle Russell Maryland, Rice and Clemson head coach Jess Neely, Arkansas defensive tackle Loyd Phillips, Texas split end Cotton Speyrer, and Houston head coach Bill Yeoman.
The SBC Cotton Bowl Hall of Fame is one of several events developed by SBC Communications and the Cotton Bowl Athletic Association to extend the Classic to the community and to future generations. Among these activities is the SBC Cotton Bowl Art Contest involving more than 6,000 elementary children throughout Dallas and Richardson during the fall, as well as the SBC Cotton Bowl Parade of Bands and team pep rallies in Fair Park on December 31.
In September 1996, SBC Communications became title sponsor of the SBC Cotton Bowl Classic, an agreement that will run through the year 2006.
The Cotton Bowl Athletic Association supports higher education through athletic competition. Three quarters of every dollar generated by the SBC Cotton Bowl Classic is returned to higher education. Since 1937, the Classic has contributed more than $135 million to participating institutions. Each year, football fans attending the SBC Cotton Bowl generate more than $30 million in direct spending for the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex.
SBC COTTON BOWL HALL OF FAME
THE CLASS OF 2003
ROBERT B. CULLUM, CBAA, PRESIDENT/TEAM SELECTION CO-CHAIRMAN
CBAA Chairman: 1960-61
CBAA President: 1958-59
CBAA Team Selection Committee: 1955-1973
Committee Assignments: 1946-1973
Robert B. Cullum was regarded as the most popular man in Dallas. He was the leader of nearly every civic group in town, but Mr. Cullum’s greatest passion was college football. Aided by his father-in-law, Dan D. Rogers, he played a key role in negotiating the pact that linked the Cotton Bowl to the Southwest Conference in the early 1940s. He then helped wrangle a $10,000 contract with NBC for the Classic’s first national radio broadcast, long before the advent of television. In team selection, he convinced Navy to accept a bid to the 1964 Cotton Bowl where the Midshipmen introduced Dallas to Roger Staubach. Yes, Mr. Cullum wore many hats for Dallas, but the one he liked best was always reserved for the Cotton Bowl.
19 EAGLE DAY, OLE MISS
Ht. 5-11 Wt. 183 Class: Senior
Position: Quarterback
Hometown: Columbia, Mississippi
1956 Classic: Mississippi 14, TCU 13
Statistics:
Rushing: 13 attempts, 3 yards
Passing: 10-21-0, 137 yards
Punting: 6 punts, 256 yards, 42.7 average
Kickoff Returns: 1 return, 17 yards
Interceptions: 1 interception, 0 yards
Tackles: 3 tackles, 1 unassisted
It was hard to beat Herman Sidney “Eagle” Day. The “Mississippi Gambler” was an excellent combination passer and runner who could dissect any defense that stood in his way. In the 1956 Classic, TCU found him to be just as slippery as everyone else in the SEC. The Frogs held a 13-7 lead late in the fourth quarter when Day initiated a brilliant 66-yard scoring drive that consumed 10 plays and five minutes of the clock. With his battle-worn jersey flapping in the breeze, Day sealed the Frogs’ fate. Forced to scramble on third down, the elusive quarterback broke loose for 25 yards, sprinting through the heart of the Frog defense to the TCU five. Ole Miss scored on the next play to win, 14-13. With Day in command, the Rebels captured their first major bowl victory.
24 KENT LAWRENCE, GEORGIA
Ht. 5-10 Wt. 165 Class: Sophomore
Position: Tailback
Hometown: Clemson, South Carolina
1967 Classic: Georgia 24, SMU 9
Statistics:
Rushing: 16 attempts, 149 yards, 1 TD
Receiving: 1 reception, 3 yards
Kickoff Returns: 1 return, 36 yards
Georgia’s Kent Lawrence left a lasting impression upon SMU in the 1967 Cotton Bowl Classic and it didn’t take him long to do it. On just the second play of the game, the Bulldogs’ sophomore tailback blew through a huge hole over left tackle, cut quickly to the east sideline, and using his blazing speed, sailed 74 yards into the end zone for Georgia’s first touchdown. Lawrence’s run was spectacular and his efforts proved to be devastating for the Mustangs. SMU never recovered. He ran for 149 yards against the Ponies that afternoon and erased a Georgia bowl rushing record that had stood for 25 years. However, it was Lawrence’s first carry of the day that set the tone for the rest of the game. His offensive heroics carried the Bulldogs to a convincing 24-9 victory.
COACH CHARLES McCLENDON, LSU
Hometown: Lewisville, Arkansas
Classic Coaching Record: 2-0-0
1963 Classic: LSU 13, Texas 0
1966 Classic: LSU 14, Arkansas 7
In formal settings, he was Charles McClendon, but in the football world everyone knew him as Cholly Mac. At the Cotton Bowl, the LSU coach was known as the giant killer. Twice, he guided the Tigers to victories over undefeated teams. In his first bowl appearance as a head coach at the 1963 Classic, McClendon’s seventh-ranked Tigers posted a 13-0 shutout of No. 4 Texas. Three years later, LSU was back in Dallas for the 1966 Cotton Bowl with plans of pulling off the improbable one more time. McClendon’s victim was No. 2 Arkansas, a team riding high with a 22-game winning streak. The unranked Tigers played flawlessly and denied the Razorbacks’ national championship bid with a 14-7 upset. Cholly Mac was a fierce competitor and at the Cotton Bowl he always met the challenge.
44 KYLE ROTE, SMU
Ht. 5-11 Wt. 185 Class: Sophomore
Position: Halfback
Hometown: San Antonio, Texas
1949 Classic: SMU 21, Oregon 13
Statistics:
Rushing: 16 attempts, 93 yards, 1 TD
Receiving: 4 receptions, 55 yards
Punting: 2 punts, 126 yards, 63.5 average (84-yard quick kick)
Indelibly etched on the scroll of Cotton Bowl immortals are two men who became household names in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Kyle Rote and Doak Walker teamed up to form an extraordinary one-two punch in SMU’s vaunted offensive attack. At the 1949 Classic, Rote was magnificent, running like a locomotive through the Oregon Ducks en route to a 21-13 Mustang victory. Although only a sophomore, Rote rushed for 93 yards on 16 carries, including a 36-yard touchdown run. Yet, he is remembered most for an 84-yard quick kick that caught the Ducks napping, pinning them back to the 12-yard line and wiping out any scoring threat they had in the first half. Rote’s kick remains as the longest in Classic history along with his 63.5 punting average. That’s the kind of stuff of which legends are made.
7 JOE THEISMANN, NOTRE DAME
Ht. 6-0 Wt. 170 Class: Junior/Senior
Position: Quarterback
Hometown: South River, New Jersey
1970 Classic: Texas 21, Notre Dame 17
1971 Classic: Notre Dame 24, Texas 11
Statistics:
1970 Rushing: 11 attempts, 48 yards
1970 Passing: 17-27-2, 231 yards, 2 TDs
1971 Rushing: 18 attempts, 22 yards, 2 TDs
1971 Passing: 9-16-1, 176 yards, 1 TD
The name Joe Theismann is still ringing in the ears of Longhorns everywhere. He was brilliant in the 1970 Classic, passing for two touchdowns and setting a total offense record only to see Texas rally in the final minute to win. One year later, at the 1971 Cotton Bowl, Theismann continued to shine. In the most highly touted bowl rematch ever, the All-America quarterback guided the Irish to a stunning 24-11 upset of the No. 1 Longhorns. Theismann accounted for his team’s first 18 points by rushing for two touchdowns and passing for another, all coming within a span of 10 minutes early in the first half. Theismann and Notre Dame left little doubt as to which team was in charge. Soon, the 30-game Texas winning streak came crashing down, and finally, after a year’s wait, Theismann had his revenge.
30 STEVE WORSTER, TEXAS, FULLBACK
Ht. 6-0 Wt. 208 Class: Sophomore/Junior/Senior
Position: Fullback
Hometown: Bridge City, Texas
1969 Classic: Texas 36, Tennessee 13
1970 Classic: Texas 21, Notre Dame 17
1971 Classic: Notre Dame 24, Texas 11
Statistics:
1969 Rushing: 10 attempts, 85 yards, 1 TD
1969 Receiving: 1 reception, 25 yards
1970 Rushing: 20 attempts, 155 yards
1971 Rushing: 16 attempts, 42 yards
His name is Steve Worster, but everyone calls him “Big Woo.” A tremendous short yardage runner with brilliant breakaway speed, not to mention a devastating blocker, he was the cornerstone of the awesome Texas Wishbone attack. With Worster at fullback, the Horns chewed up 30 straight opponents, collected two national titles, and compiled the greatest victory total in Texas’ celebrated football history. Worster led the Longhorns to three consecutive Cotton Bowl appearances, but his performance in the 1970 Classic was absolutely sensational. He bulled through Notre Dame defenders for 155 yards on 20 carries and paved the way to a 21-17 Texas victory. In the Cotton Bowl’s most famous matchup, Worster’s constant pounding took its toll on the Irish.