Oct. 30, 2006
College Football Hall of Fame Coach Grant Teaff and former Texas A&M kicker Tony Franklin have been named the 2006 Legends of the Sun Bowl, announced John H. Folmer, president of the Sun Bowl Association.
"We are extremely honored to add to coach Teaff and Tony Franklin to the Legends of the Sun Bowl," said Folmer. "Both are household names in the annals of college football for what they accomplished on the field. In fact, they both left a piece of their legacy in Sun Bowl Stadium."
For Teaff, that piece of his legacy came in 1992, when he coached his final game for Baylor University on Dec. 31, 1992 at Sun Bowl Stadium. Teaff's Bears came back from a 10-point deficit to upset the University of Arizona, 20-15.
For Franklin, it came on Jan. 1, 1977, when he became just the second placekicker to earn MVP honors in a bowl game. Franklin connected on three field goals that day, including an NCAA bowl record 62-yard attempt. It is the only 60-yard field goal in bowl history.
The pair will be inducted into the Legends of the Sun Bowl on Dec. 28 at the Rotary Sun Bowl Team Luncheon at the Judson F. Williams Convention Center. Tickets for the event can be purchased by calling Maxine Johnson at the Rotary Club of El Paso at (915) 544-2582 or the Sun Bowl Association office at (915) 533-4416.
Teaff, who currently serves as the executive director of the American Football Coaches Association, compiled a 30-year career coaching record of 170-151-8 at McMurry University (1960-65), Angelo State University (1969-71) and Baylor (1972-92).
A 2001 inductee into the College Football Hall of Fame, Teaff led Baylor to a pair of Southwest Conference title (1974 and 1980) and led Baylor to eight bowl appearances. He was named the AFCA and the FWAA National Coach of the Year in 1974. In 21 seasons at Baylor, he was named the Southwest Conference Coach of the Year six times.
During his tenure at Baylor, Teaff coached 20 All-Americans, seven academic All-Americans and 114 All-Southwest Conference players. He also coached Davey O'Brien Award recipient Mike Singletary (1979, 1980) and Jim Thorpe Award honoree Thomas Everett (1986).
After his final game in 1992, Teaff served as director of athletics at Baylor until 1994, when he became the executive director of the AFCA. He has been named one of the most powerful administrators in college athletics by both the Sporting News and Street & Smith's Sports Business Journal.
A 1976 consensus All-American as a sophomore, Franklin became the only player in NCAA history to connect on two 60-yard field goals in one game, as he made field goals of 64 and 65 yards against Baylor that season. He also owns the NCAA records for career (11) and season (5 in 1976) 60-yard field goal attempts. His 38 career attempts (16 made) of 50 yards or more still stands as an NCAA record.
When he left Texas A&M, Franklin was the Aggies' all-time scoring leader with 291 career points. He currently still holds nine records at Texas A&M and six records in the NCAA and is a 1989 inductee into the Texas A&M Athletic Hall of Fame. During his four-year stay in College Station, Franklin helped lead the Aggies to four straight bowl games - 1975 Liberty Bowl, 1977 Sun Bowl, 1977 Bluebonnet Bowl and 1978 Hall of Fame Bowl.
A third round draft pick of the Philadelphia Eagles, Franklin spent 10 seasons in the NFL with Philadelphia, New England and Miami. He played in Super Bowl XV with Philadelphia and Super Bowl XX with New England. In 1986, he led the NFL in scoring (140 points) and field goals made (32) and was selected to the Pro Bowl.
In 1994, the Sun Bowl Association and the Rotary Club of El Paso commenced Legends of the Sun Bowl to honor individuals whose exemplary accomplishments have enhanced the bowl throughout its 69-year history. Legends are honored at the annual Rotary Sun Bowl Team Luncheon held the week of the game.
Previous inductees have included the following: Charley Johnson, Harrison Kohl and Bill Stevens (1994); Johnny Majors (1995); Tony Dorsett (1996); Tom Brookshier and Pat Summerall (1997); Jesse Whittenton (1998); Hayden Fry and Jimmy Rogers, Jr. (1999); Vince Dooley and Derrick Thomas (2000); John H. Folmer and Barry Switzer (2001); Thurman Thomas (2002); Ken Heineman (2003); Pat Tillman and Alex Van Pelt (2004); and Terry Donahue and Verne Lundquist (2005).
The Legends of the Sun Bowl induction ceremony at the Rotary Sun Bowl Team Luncheon features both competing teams for the 73rd Annual Brut Sun Bowl, which is slated for Friday, Dec. 29 at noon (MT). For information on tickets and other Sun Bowl events, please call the Sun Bowl Association office at (915) 533-4416.
