The Cotton Bowl Classic Hall of Fame will induct its Class of 2025 on Friday, and the eight new members include two players from opposite sides of the Iron Bowl rivalry -- Auburn‘s Bo Jackson and Alabama‘s DeMeco Ryans.
Each player made his final college appearance in the Cotton Bowl.
Jackson ran for 129 yards and one touchdown on 31 carries and scored a 73-yard touchdown on a pass from Pat Washington in No. 16 Auburn’s 36-16 loss to No. 11 Texas A&M on Jan. 1, 1986, to conclude his Heisman Trophy season.
Ryans won the Defensive MVP Award as he anchored the nation’s No. 1 scoring defense in No. 13 Alabama’s 13-10 victory over No. 18 Texas Tech on Jan. 2, 2006, after winning the SEC Defensive Player of the Year Award for the 2005 season.
Both players were Alabama prep stars – Jackson at McAdory in McCalla and Ryans at Jess Lanier in Bessemer.
The other members of the 14th Cotton Bowl Classic Hall of Fame Class are Notre fullback Jerome Bettis, Texas linebacker Randy Braband, Ole Miss coach David Cutcliffe, Nebraska running back Tony Davis, Cotton Bowl Athletic Association chief ambassador, past chair and former team-selection and Playoff Committee Chair Fin Ewing III and CBAA historian Charlie Fiss.
