HALL OF FAME

In what may have been his greatest game, Jim Brown ran through, over and around TCU defenders in the 1957 Classic. He rallied Syracuse from an early 14-0 deficit, then fueled another fierce comeback in the fourth quarter. Brown was simply unstoppable, scoring three times on runs of one, two and four yards and rushed for 132 yards. He also booted three PATs and recorded five tackles. Brown's extraordinary performance in his final college game proved to be a defining moment and launched one of the most prolific and storied careers in NFL history. Was he the greatest running back ever? The experts agree, the measuring stick begins with Jim Brown.

Incredible is the only word that can describe Bobby Layne's performance in the Classic's 10th anniversary game in 1946. Layne was responsible for all 40 Texas points in the Longhorns' 40-27 victory over Missouri. He passed for two touchdowns, ran for three more, caught a 50-yard bomb for another, and kicked four PATs. Layne completed 11-of-12 pass attempts, had eight consecutive completions, and even though it's been more than 50 years, his .917 pass completion percentage is still a Cotton Bowl record. It's no wonder that after the game, Missouri coach Chauncey Simpson ran to the Texas team bus to shake Layne's hand, saying, "I never saw a better job by anybody!"

Dicky Maegle became a legend with his amazing performance in the 1954 Cotton Bowl. Maegle rushed for 265 yards on 11 carries and averaged an unbelievable 24.1 yards per play. He also recorded touchdown runs of 79, 95 and 34 yards. But, the one play that will live forever in the lore of the Cotton Bowl is the infamous bench tackle. While on his way to an apparent 95-yard touchdown romp, Maegle was blindsided by Tommy Lewis who leaped off the Alabama bench as the play crossed midfield. Maegle was awarded the touchdown in what the Associated Press called the "sports oddity" of the year.

During the Darrell Royal era in the 1960s and 1970s, it was said that two things in life were certain...death and Texas. In 20 seasons, Coach Royal guided the Longhorns to 11 SWC titles, assembled a staggering 167-47-5 record, and produced 26 All-Americans. His Longhorns played in 10 Cotton Bowl Classics, including six consecutive appearances from 1969 through 1974. Royal won two national championships in the Cotton Bowl. The first came in 1964 when Texas scored a decisive 28-6 victory over Navy. Then, in 1970, in the most famous Cotton Bowl game ever played, the Horns came from behind in the closing minutes to defeat Notre Dame, 21-17. The Royal era at Texas truly was royal.

As he sat among the fans watching SMU take on Stanford in the 1936 Rose Bowl, J. Curtis Sanford asked the question, "Why can't Dallas have a game like this?" Sanford returned home, rolled up his sleeves and got to work creating a New Year's Day Classic of his own. Advisers insisted his plan would never work. Fortunately, Sanford refused to listen. This man of vision pursued his dream with an intense passion and financed the first four games from his own pocket. Thanks to Sanford's foresight and determination, the Cotton Bowl Classic found a home and continues to thrive as one of college football's most exciting and storied traditions.

Field Scovell was the consummate public relations man and patriarch of the Dallas sporting community. A goodwill ambassador whose famous "Howdy, Podner" greeting, his spontaneous one-liners, and the crunch of his handshake opened countless doors for the City of Dallas. For nearly four decades, Field served as the Cotton Bowl's Chairman of Team Selection. Some attributed his success to a dish of his famous homemade ice cream served up by his wife Mary. Regardless of what his secret may have been, people around the world knew him simply as Mr. Cotton Bowl. In his honor, the Classic's championship award is named the Field Scovell Trophy.

His coach, Matty Bell, once said, "Nobody ever played football like Doak Walker!" Indeed, the Classic's first Heisman Trophy winner could do it all...run, block, catch, punt and defend. No one ever captured the imagination of a city the way Walker seized Dallas during the 1940s. In two Cotton Bowl appearances, The Doaker won back-to-back MVP honors. In 1948, he produced both SMU touchdowns against Penn State, one a 53-yard pass play. A year later, he boomed a 79-yard punt against Oregon. Doak's legendary accomplishments are still celebrated today. Each year, college football's finest running back is presented the Doak Walker Award.