April 21, 2000
The Class of 2000 Southwestern Bell Cotton Bowl Hall of Fame inductees has a maroon tint as Aggie great John Kimbrough and Wrecking Crew All-American linebacker Johnny Holland are among the seven who will be inducted next month.
The ceremony will be held at 11 a.m, Thursday, May 18, at the Cotton Bowl Plaza in Fair Park. The ceremony is free and open to the public.
Kimbrough, the Heisman Trophy runnerup in 1940, led the Aggies to a 13-12 victory over Fordham in the first sellout of the Classic held in Dallas in 1941.
Holland, a two-time All-American, recorded 27 tackles in his two appearances in the 1986 and 1987 Cotton Bowl Classics.
Two more inductees have A&M ties.
Coach Bryant was the head football coach at Texas A&M from 1954-57, but the Aggies never appeared in the Cotton Bowl during his tenure. Bryant led Kentucky to a victory over TCU in 1952 and he took the Alabama Crimson Tide to Dallas on four occasions.
Heisman Trophy winner Roger Staubach brought a Navy club to Dallas in 1964 and Staubach completed 21-of-31 passes for 228 yards. Staubach's daughter, Amy, was an Aggie hostess and graduated in May of 1999 from Texas A&M.
A 35-member panel, which includes media and athletic administrators, made the selections from a list of 52 nominees. An individual is eligible for induction five years after their final appearance in the Southwestern Bell Cotton Bowl. Voting is based only on the performance in, or contribution to, the Classic rather than on the person's college or professional career.
The complete list of the Class of 2000 includes:
Paul "Bear" Bryant (Kentucky, Alabama)
Duke Carlisle (Texas)
Johnny Holland (Texas A&M)
John Kimbrough (Texas A&M)
Lindsey Nelson (The Voice of the Cotton Bowl called 26 Classics.)
Roger Staubach (Navy)
Jim Swink (TCU)