liberty bowl history
liberty bowl history
Have you gotten your Liberty Bowl tickets yet? If not, do it now. The Autozone Liberty Bowl has been bringing post season college football excitement to the people since 1959 when Penn State and Alabama put on a contest in front of over 30,000 people. The 2006 Liberty Bowl will be held on Dec. 29th, 2006 in Memphis Tennessee at the Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. Featuring a representative from the Southeastern Conference and Conference USA, college football fans are sure to get a great matchup between two winning teams, each intent on bringing home the Bell Trophy.
The Liberty Bowl has a long history of putting the best college football players in the country on the field. Take a look at this list of Heisman Trophy winners to grace the field at a Liberty Bowl:
In 1961 Ernie Bell was the leading rusher for the Syracuse Orangemen. Bell rushed for 140 yards on 30 carries in the game. The first Syracuse player to win the Heisman Trophy, Bell was also the first African American to be given a Heisman.
In 1983 Doug Flutie had not yet won the Heisman but was well on his way to establishing himself as one of the best loved football players in history. Flutie passed for 287 yards and three touchdowns as Boston College fell to Notre Dame 19-18 in a great contest of evenly matched teams that is so telling of the quality of Liberty Bowl games.
Then there’s Bo Jackson. Jackson appeared in the Liberty Bowl in 1984 as a member of the Auburn Tigers. He would score a pair of touchdowns in the Liberty Bowl, rushing for 90 yards on 18 carries and go on to win Heisman honors the next year.
The list of great college football players that participated in the Liberty Bowl reads like a who’s who of the NFL game. Kellen Winslow played in the Liberty Bowl in 1980. Lawrence Taylor, considered by many to be the best linebacker ever to take the field played in 1977. Then there’s Antowain Smith, coaches Bear Bryant, Lou Holtz, and Joe Paterno. Saints quarterback Archie Manning led Ole Miss into the Liberty Bowl. Donovan McNabb played in 1996 and Shaun King in 1998. The list goes on an on.
For over 40 years Liberty Bowl tickets have been treasured items among college football fans. Some of the best college football programs in the country have sent teams to the Liberty Bowl. Penn State, Alabama, Syracuse, Tulane, Tennessee, Arkansas, Notre Dame, Louisville, are just a few teams to hit the field at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium.
Who will be on the field for the 2006 Autozone Liberty Bowl? With a pairing between the SEC, one of college footballs toughest conferences, and Conference USA, one of the fastest rising conferences in the game today, it’s sure to be a solid contest. Every year fans in the Memphis area and all over the country make plans to be at the Liberty Bowl for an unforgettable day of college football excitement. Make plans to be at the 2006 Autozone Liberty Bowl.
