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Bowl season is well underway, and some players are already taking advantage of the stage to make a name for themselves this season.
While the league waits to make its debut in this year’s bowl schedule, let’s look back at a few memorable bowl performances by SEC players:
5. Johnny Manziel, 2013 Chick-Fil-A Bowl: Manziel finished his sophomore season with a bang. After becoming the first freshman to win the Heisman Trophy, in what turned out to be his final college game, Manziel led the Aggies to a 52-48 win against Duke by throwing for 382 yards and four touchdowns. He also ran for 73 yards and a score on 11 attempts.
He made a believer of Duke coach David Cutcliffe, who knows a thing or two about quarterbacks.
“I think he’s poised,” he said. “He’s able to make quick decisions when he needs to. He had total command of the ball today, as far as putting it where he wanted it. That’s what you’ve got to be able to do to play in (the NFL). And he’s fast. Really, really fast.”
4. Rohan Davey, Josh Reed and Domanick Davis, 2002 Sugar Bowl: LSU had three outstanding performances in a Sugar Bowl win over Illinois. Davey passed for 444 yards and three touchdowns, Reed hauled in 14 passes for 239 yards and two touchdowns and Davis added 122 rushing yards and four more scores as LSU outgunned Illinois, 47-34.
3. Tim Tebow, 2010 Sugar Bowl: Tim Tebow was one of the best players in SEC history, and he capped off a storied career with a 51-24 win against No. 4 Cincinnati in the Sugar Bowl. Tebow threw for 482 yards and three touchdowns, while rushing for 51 yards and a score in the contest.
2. Peerless Price, 1999 Fiesta Bowl: Price caught four passes for 199 yards from quarterback Tee Martin — including two long touchdown grabs — as Tennessee edged Florida State, 23-16, to win the BCS National Championship, it’s first national title since 1967.
1. Lee Roy Jordan, 1963 Orange Bowl: Oklahoma ran 60 plays in a 17-0 loss to Alabama in front of a capacity crowd, including President John F. Kennedy. Jordan made the tackle on an amazing 31 of those snaps for the Crimson Tide.
His coach, Bear Bryant, once said: “Lee Roy was the best college linebacker — bar none. He would have made every tackle on every play if they had stayed in bounds.”
Randy Capps is a contributing writer for Saturday Down South. He covers SEC football, South Carolina and Georgia.
