Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic

Statistics: 13 tackles (11 unassisted), 1 tackle for loss for -3 yards, 1 pass breakup

Boston College linebacker Bill Romanowski stole the show in the 1985 Cotton Bowl Classic. He stalked Houston running backs all day long, roaming from sideline to sideline to make 13 tackles. Eleven of those stops were unassisted, a number that tied an existing Classic record for solo tackles. It was an inspiring and intimidating performance. Maybe even more significant was that in the process of helping the Eagles earn a 45-28 victory, Romanowski became the Classic’s first true freshman to earn Felix McKnight Outstanding Defensive Player honors. Throughout his career, he gave his heart and soul to the game of football. Romanowski was an unyielding force and intense competitor who possessed the grit and determination to become one of the most dominant defensive players in the game.