2027 COTTON BOWL CLASSIC HALL OF FAME CLASS
 
RICK BAKER, CBAA PRESIDENT & CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
General Manager: 1989-92
President/Chief Executive Officer: 1992-2026
 
Rick Baker excelled in the business of making memories. As President and Chief Executive Officer of the Cotton Bowl Athletic Association, Baker spent 38 years creating memorable experiences for every player, coach and fan. His eye for detail defined the Cotton Bowl Classic's reputation for hospitality and game management. Never one to take credit for the bowl's success, Baker preferred to share the spotlight with others. He understood that securing title sponsorships, negotiating television contracts, and ultimately relocating the Classic to AT&T Stadium required a team effort with the CBAA Board of Directors and staff. It was a bold move to Arlington that eventually led to the Classic becoming a part of the College Football Playoff. His fingerprints were everywhere. Two of his most treasured creations were the Cotton Bowl Classic Hall of Fame and Cotton Bowl Foundation. Rick Baker made dreams come true.
 
HEAD COACH MACK BROWN, TEXAS
1999 Classic: Texas 38, Mississippi State 11
2000 Classic: Arkansas 27, Texas 6
2003 Classic: Texas 35, LSU 20
Classic Record: 2-1-0
 
Mack Brown won a lot of football games in his 36-year coaching career, 288 to be exact. Most came during his 16 seasons at the University of Texas. However, for Brown, the game stretched much further than the scoreboard. It was a means of investing in the lives of young men. He instilled a culture of brotherhood and a sense of community. That was his reason for coaching. It led to great success. In 16 seasons at Texas, Brown compiled a 158-48 record for a .767 winning percentage. The two-time National Coach of the Year led the Longhorns to the 2005 BCS Championship. His teams appeared in 26 bowl games, including three Cotton Bowl Classics with victories in 1999 and 2003. He taught his players how to succeed on and off the field. Coach Brown radiates integrity, character, and is a man of his word.
 
BRUCE GADD, CBAA BOARD OF DIRECTORS
CBAA Board of Directors: 1987-Present
CBAA Chair: 2006-08
CBAA Team Host: 1988-2006
 
Leave it to a former college quarterback to guide his team on a pressure-packed march to the end zone when the odds are stacked against him. That was the position Bruce Gadd found himself in as Chair of the Cotton Bowl Athletic Association. His job was to serve as the point man in the Classic's contentious 18-mile move from its longtime home in Dallas to Arlington's AT&T Stadium. Just like during his college days at Rice, Gadd steered the CBAA through a political minefield to gain a unanimous vote by the Board of Directors to make the move from the Cotton Bowl Classic's namesake stadium to one that gave hope of regaining its position as one of America's most respected bowl games. The eagerly anticipated vote was cast at 8:42 a.m., on Tuesday, February 27, 2007. When the dust settled, Gadd had found pay dirt one more time.
 
LANCE McILHENNY, SMU, QUARTERBACK
1983 Classic: SMU 7, Pittsburgh 3
Rushing: 14 attempts, minus-17 yards, 1 TD
Passing: 5-8-0, 101 yards
 
Lance McIlhenny, the winningest quarterback in Southwest Conference history, was a head coach's dream. At the 47th Cotton Bowl Classic in 1983, he provided the spark that produced a memorable SMU victory over Pittsburgh. With the Panthers clinging to a 3-0 lead early in the fourth quarter, McIlhenny exerted his will and methodically drove the Mustangs 80 yards in 11 plays for the game-winning touchdown. Working his sleight of hand to perfection, McIlhenny faked the dive play to Eric Dickerson and a pitch to Craig James. With Pitt biting on both fakes, McIlhenny turned the corner and sprinted nine yards for the touchdown to give SMU a 7-3 victory, the Mustangs' first in the Classic since 1948.
 
TYRANN MATHIEU, CORNERBACK, LSU
2011 Classic: LSU 41, Texas A&M 24
Defensive Statistics: 8 tackles, 1 sack, 1 interception, 2 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery, 1 pass breakup
 
People take notice whenever a true freshman steps up to earn Outstanding Player honors in a major bowl game. Tyrann Mathieu, LSU's tenacious first-year cornerback, did just that in the Cotton Bowl Classic's 75th anniversary game in 2011. In primetime, Mathieu made eight tackles, a sack, an interception, forced two fumbles, had one fumble recovery and a pass breakup in the Tigers' 41-24 defeat of Texas A&M. A penalty nullified another amazing play by Mathieu when he stripped a Texas A&M receiver of a pass reception and returned the loose ball 37 yards for a touchdown. He was fearless, aggressive and blessed with the ability to create turnovers. True freshmen have earned Outstanding Player honors five times in the Classic. However, Mathieu took it a step further. He became just the second rookie to carry home Defensive MVP honors.
 
AARON TAYLOR, NOTRE DAME, OFFENSIVE TACKLE
1993 Classic: Notre Dame 28, Texas A&M 3
1994 Classic: Notre Dame 24, Texas A&M 21
  1993 Team Statistics: 290 yards rushing, 149 yards passing, 439 yards in total offense
  1994 Team Statistics: 206 yards rushing, 105 yards passing, 311 yards in total offense
 
Aaron Taylor was one of the finest offensive linemen to ever wear a Notre Dame uniform. That's a big statement. He was a consensus first-team All-America tackle as a junior and a unanimous All-America selection as a senior. The Fighting Irish went 40-8-1 with Taylor in the lineup and finished among the Associated Press' Top 5 teams twice. Two victories came at the expense of Texas A&M in back-to-back Cotton Bowl Classics. Notre Dame rolled up 439 yards in total offense to win the 1993 game, 28-3. A year later, the Irish won a tug-of-war battle with the unbeaten Aggies, 24-21. Taylor ended a distinguished collegiate career as the recipient of the prestigious Lombardi Award, presented to the nation's top lineman. In 2021, he was honored as the 48th Notre Dame player to enter the College Football Hall of Fame.
 
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