2022 College Football Hall of Fame Class Features Independence Bowl Alumni

SHREVEPORT, La. (Jan. 10, 2022) – The National Football Foundation (NFF) and College Football Hall of Fame announced on Monday, January 10 the 2022 College Football Hall of Fame Class – featuring Independence Bowl alumni LSU running back Kevin Faulk, Oklahoma defensive back Roy Williams and Missouri head coach Gary Pinkel. With three inductees in 2022, there will be 23 Independence Bowl alumni in the College Football Hall of Fame.

Faulk appeared in two Independence Bowls for LSU (1995 and 1997), but his most-notable performance was in 1995 against Nick Saban’s Michigan State squad. On his way to breaking the Independence Bowl all-purpose yards record, Faulk toted the ball 25 times for 234 yards and two touchdowns. With four receiving yards and 33 kick return yards, he compiled 271 all-purpose yards in the game. That would stand as the top all-purpose yards game in Independence Bowl history for 23 years until it was broken by Duke wide receiver T.J. Rahming in 2018.

Prior to becoming the first player in history to collect the Bronko Nagurski Trophy and Jim Thorpe Award in the same season, Williams helped lead his 1999 Oklahoma team to the Independence Bowl. Despite a close loss to Ole Miss in what was the final college football game of the 20th century, Williams compiled six solo tackles, one tackle for loss and one pass breakup. That game and season would help springboard the Sooners to a National Championship season the next year in 2000.

With more Independence Bowl appearances than anyone other than former Ole Miss and Duke head coach David Cutcliffe, Pinkel brought his Missouri Tigers to Shreveport three times in his tenure in Columbia (2003, 2005 and 2011). In his three Independence Bowl appearances, Pinkel went 2-1 with wins over South Carolina and North Carolina in 2005 and 2011, respectively. His two Independence Bowl victories tie him for second with Virginia Tech’s Frank Beamer and LSU’s Gerry DiNardo – behind only Cutcliffe who is 4-0.

For the full release about the 2022 College Football Hall of Fame class, visit footballfoundation.org/news/2022/1/10/nff-announces-star-studded-2022-college-football-hall-of-fame-class.aspx.

ABOUT THE RADIANCE TECHNOLOGIES INDEPENDENCE BOWL™:

Established in 1976, the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl™ is the nation’s 11th-oldest bowl game. The UAB Blazers defeated the No. 13 BYU Cougars 31-28 in the 45th Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl on Satrurday, December 18, 2021. The Independence Bowl Foundation announced a one-year extension with Radiance Technologies – ensuring they will be the title sponsor through 2025. The bowl’s conference and team agreements, as well as the television agreement, also run through the 2025 season. Army West Point and BYU are slated to matchup against a rotation of the Pac-12 Conference, American Athletic Conference and Conference USA, which will be televised on an ESPN network.

The Independence Bowl Foundation is prevalent in the Shreveport-Bossier City area throughout the year, hosting events to help enhance the economic impact and growth of our community. The Mission of the Independence Bowl is to attract and provide quality, nationally recognized football competition oriented to the Ark-La-Tex region. For more information, visit RadianceTechnologiesIndependenceBowl.com or follow the bowl on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @IndyBowl.