By Erik Evenson, Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl Director of Communications
One step before entering the top half of the Independence Bowl’s 50th Anniversary All-Time Team, the bowl is revealing players 30 through 26 on the Top 50 list of the greatest players in Independence Bowl history.
Players 30 through 26 feature one player from the game’s first decade and two players from the 1990s and 2000s, and the group includes:
No. 30 – Flozell Adams (OT – Michigan State, 1995)
Another player who played for Nick Saban in an Independence Bowl, Adams is one of the greatest offensive linemen to play in Shreveport’s bowl game. A mountain of a man, standing at 6-foot-7 and 335 pounds, he was a three-year starter at Michigan State. His first year as a starter was the 1995 Independence Bowl season, and he earned honorable mention All-Big Ten that season. He propelled himself into being one of the best offensive linemen in the country the next two years – earning second-team All-Big Ten in 1996 and first-team All-Big Ten, first-team All-American and Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year in 1997. He was also a semi-finalist for both the Outland Trophy and Lombardi Award in 1997. Adams was drafted in the second round of the 1998 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys and played from 1998 through 2009 for the Cowboys and in 2010 for the Pittsburgh Steelers. His success carried over to the highest level of football, as he was a five-time Pro Bowler and named second-team All-Pro in 2007.
No. 29 – Rocky Calmus (LB – Oklahoma, 1999)
Calmus is one of the most decorated linebackers to play in the Independence Bowl, as he helped lead Oklahoma to Shreveport in 1999 – the year before he was a staple of the Sooners’ defense that went on to win the 2000 BCS National Championship. Born in Tulsa, Okla. and starring at Jenks High School, where he helped start a run of six straight Oklahoma 6A state championships, Calmus recorded five tackles against Ole Miss in the 1999 Independence Bowl – the last college football game of the millennium on December 31, 1999. He was a three-time All-Big 12 selection – second-team in 1999 and first-team in 2000 and 2001. The 2000 National Championship season was when his college career really skyrocketed. Along with being first-team All-Big 12, he was also named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and a consensus All-American. Calmus followed up that tremendous season with another one in 2001, being named a consensus All-American a second straight season and earning the Butkus Award and Jack Lambert Trophy. Drafted in the third round of the 2002 NFL Draft, he played in the league from 2002 to 2005.
No. 28 – A.J. Green (WR – Georgia, 2009)
Green is one of the most prominent players to play in the Independence Bowl over the past 20 years, as he caught six passes for 57 yards for Georgia in their 44-20 victory over Texas A&M in the 2009 Independence Bowl. He stepped on campus in Athens in 2008 and made an immediate impact, posting 963 receiving yards and eight touchdowns (TDs) on 56 receptions – all freshman records at Georgia. Leading the SEC in receiving yards that season, he was named first-team All-SEC and SEC Freshman of the Year. He followed up his impressive freshman season by posting two more seasons of 50-plus receptions, 800-plus receptions and 15 total TDs, which earned him first-team All-SEC and first-team All-American in 2009 and second-team All-SEC and first-team All-American honors in 2010. Following his standout career in Athens, Green was the first wide receiver drafted in the 2011 NFL Draft, going to the Cincinnati Bengals with the fourth overall pick. Over the next 12 years, he propelled himself into being one of the best wide receivers of his era – earning seven Pro Bowl berths and being named second-team All-Pro twice. He compiled 10,514 receiving yards and 70 TDs on 727 receptions and posted 1,000-plus yards receiving in six of his first seven seasons in the NFL.
No. 27 – Otis Wilson (LB – Louisville, 1977)
Wilson is one of the original greats to play in the Independence Bowl, as he played in the second edition of the game for Louisville in 1977. Playing in the bowl before defensive statistics were recorded, he was named the 1977 Defensive Player of the Game in a 24-14 loss to Louisiana Tech. Wilson was a three-year starter from 1977 to 1979 for the Cardinals and is Louisville’s second all-time leading tackler (484 career tackles) and fifth in program history in tackles-for-loss (32). He earned first-team All-American honors in 1979, and he is a member of the Louisville Cardinals Ring of Honor. One of the first Independence Bowl alumni to be drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft, Wilson was selected by the Chicago Bears with the 19th overall pick in the 1980 NFL Draft. He turned himself into a force for one of the greatest defenses in NFL history – the ‘85 Bears. The premier pass rusher for that historic defense, Wilson recorded 10.5 sacks in 1985 on the way to winning Super Bowl XX. He made his lone Pro Bowl appearance of his career and was named second-team All-Pro. Recording 38 sacks and 10 interceptions in his career, Wilson was named one of the 100 greatest Bears of All-Time and was inducted into the Kentucky Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2013.
No. 26 – Ja’Mar Toombs (RB – Texas A&M, 2000)
Toombs put on a performance for the ages in one of the most memorable games in college football history – the 2000 Snow Bowl. He carried the ball 35 times for 193 yards and three TDs, earning 2000 Offensive Player of the Game honors. His 193 rushing yards still rank third in Independence Bowl history, and his three rushing touchdowns in a single game are tied for second in the Independence Bowl record book. His 25-yard touchdown run to open overtime would be possibly the most memorable moment in Independence Bowl history if not for the ensuing extra point being blocked by fellow All-Time Team member Willie Blade and returned for two points by Mississippi State. Toombs compiled 1,638 yards from scrimmage and 27 TDs in three years for the Aggies and was named second-team All-SEC in 2000.
The next five players (Nos. 25 through 20) will be announced on July 23.
Previously Announced Members of the All-Time Team
The first 20 players on the Independence Bowl’s 50th Anniversary All-Time Team, as previously announced, include:
No. 31 – Willie Blade (DT – Mississippi State, 2000), No. 32 – Scott Thomas (S – Air Force, 1983 & 1984), No. 33 – Chad Hennings (DT – Air Force, 1984), No. 34 – Dameyune Craig (QB – Auburn, 1996), No. 35 – Geno Atkins (DT – Georgia, 2009), No. 36 – Rondell Mealey (RB – LSU, 1997), No. 37 – Rolando McClain (LB – Alabama, 2007), No. 38 – Weldon Brown (CB – Louisiana Tech, 2008), No. 39 – Andre Smith (OT – Alabama, 2006 & 2007), No. 40 – Tiki Barber (RB – Virginia, 1994), No. 41 – Puka Nacua (WR – BYU, 2021), No. 42 – Gary Kubiak (QB – Texas A&M, 1981), No. 43 – Seneca Wallace (QB – Iowa State, 2001), No. 44 – Todd McClure (C – LSU, 1995 & 1997), No. 45 – Gary Anderson (K – Syracuse, 1979), No. 46 – Booger McFarland (LB – LSU, 1995 & 1997), No. 47 – Tremaine Edmunds (LB – Virginia Tech, 2015), No. 48 – Bill Musgrave (QB – Oregon, 1989), No. 49 – Larry Anderson (DB – Louisiana Tech, 1977) and No. 50 – Lorenza Baker (LB – Louisiana Tech, 1990).
Selection & Ranking Criteria and Committee
The list of the top 50 all-time players was compiled by an experienced and diverse committee that included local media members and Independence Bowl representatives. Players were nominated and evaluated based on the following criteria:
- 40 percent weight based on their Independence Bowl performance(s)
- 30 percent based on their college career and accolades
- 30 percent based on their pro career and accomplishments
To read more about the nomination and selection process, release schedule and selection and ranking committee, visit RadianceTechnologiesIndependen