College football: Von Miller named No. 15 player on Independence Bowl 50th Anniversary All-Time Team

By Erik Evenson, Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl Executive Director

When all is said and done, Von Miller, who is the number 15 player on the Independence Bowl’s 50th Anniversary All-Time Team, could end up one of the greatest players to ever play in Shreveport’s bowl game.

Miller, who could one day become just the fifth Independence Bowl alum to be inducted into both the College Football and Pro Football Hall of Fame, registered four total tackles and 0.5 tackles-for-loss (TFL) in the 2009 Independence Bowl for Texas A&M. The Aggies fell, 44-20, to a star-studded Georgia team.

After collecting 5.5 sacks and 11.5 TFL in his first two seasons on campus, Miller had his breakout season during his junior year in 2009 – the same season he played in Shreveport. Transitioning to more of a hybrid defensive end and linebacker role, the 2009 first-team All-Big 12 and All-American led the nation in sacks with 17 and finished fourth in the country with 21 TFL. His 17 sacks tie him for eighth on the single-season sacks leaderboard – a statistic that has been an official stat since 2000.

Miller was hobbled by an ankle injury the first half of his senior season in 2010, but he still turned in a stellar season – racking up 10.5 sacks and 17.5 TFL. He was named first-team All-Big 12 once again and was named a consensus All-American. Miller earned the prestigious Butkus Award as the best linebacker in the country and also won the Jack Lambert Trophy.

After his outstanding collegiate career and winning the Defensive MVP award at the 2011 Senior Bowl, Miller was selected with the second overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft by the Denver Broncos. The pick quickly paid dividends for the Broncos, as Miller was named the 2011 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year after posting 11.5 sacks and 19 TFL. He was also named second-team All-Pro for his rookie performance – his first of four times being named second-team All-Pro.

Miller’s sophomore campaign was the best of his career. He posted career highs in sacks (18.5), TFL (28) and forced fumbles (six). He finished second in voting for NFL Defensive Player of the Year and was named first-team All-Pro for the first time – an achievement he would accomplish two more times. 

The DeSoto, Texas native recently signed a one-year, $5.5 million contract with the Dallas Cowboys for the 2026 season, and to this point in his career, he has compiled 138.5 sacks and 177 TFL. In addition to seven appearances on the All-Pro teams, Miller has been named a Pro Bowler eight times and was named to the NFL 2010s All-Decade Team. He is first among active players in career sacks and currently ranks 13th on the NFL’s all-time sack leaders list. Miller could leap to ninth on the list and ahead of Pro Football Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor with just four sacks this season. He is also tied for second among active players in TFL and tied for fourth on the NFL’s all-time TFL leaderboard. Miller is also the Broncos’ all-time franchise sacks leader with 110.5.

In addition to his personal success, Miller has also reached the pinnacle of pro football twice, winning two Super Bowls – 50 and LVI. The leader of the Broncos’ vaunted defense during the 2015-16 season, Miller tied the record for most sacks in a single Super Bowl with 4.5 sacks in Super Bowl 50 and was named Super Bowl MVP. His next playoff appearance in the postseason came with the Los Angeles Rams in the 2021-22 season after a mid-season trade sent him from Denver to the City of Angels, and Miller took full advantage of the opportunity. In four playoff games on the march to his second Lombardi Trophy, Miller collected four sacks and helped lead the Rams to their first Super Bowl title since 2000.

The next player on the Independence Bowl’s 50th Anniversary All-Time Team, No. 14, will be announced on Tuesday, September 8. Players will be announced individually every week, with No. 1 being announced on Monday, December 7.

Previously Announced Members of the All-Time Team

The first 35 players on the Independence Bowl’s 50th Anniversary All-Time Team, as previously announced, include:

• No. 16 – Wesley Walls (DE/TE – Ole Miss, 1986)
• No. 17 – Joe Morris (RB – Syracuse, 1979)
• No. 18 – Ray Childress (DT – Texas A&M, 1981)
• No. 19 – Sidney Rice (WR – South Carolina, 2005)
• No. 20 – Brad Smith (QB – Missouri, 2003 & 2005)
• No. 21 – Derrick Mason (WR – Michigan State, 1995)
• No. 22 – Garrison Hearst (RB – Georgia, 1991)
• No. 23 – Jacob Rodriguez (LB – Texas Tech, 2023)
• No. 24 – Tim Krumrie (NG – Wisconsin, 1982)
• No. 25 – Muhsin Muhammad (WR – Michigan State, 1995)
• No. 26 – Ja’Mar Toombs (RB – Texas A&M, 2000)
• No. 27 – Otis Wilson (LB – Louisville, 1977)
• No. 28 – A.J. Green (WR – Georgia, 2009)
• No. 29 – Rocky Calmus (LB – Oklahoma, 1999)
• No. 30 – Flozell Adams (OT – Michigan State, 1995)
• 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)
• 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 RadianceTechnologiesIndependenceBowl.com/news.