Outstanding players of the 51 previous Cotton Bowl games:
1937-Ki Aldrich, Sammy Baugh, and L.D. Meyer, TCU.
1938-Ernie Lain, Rice;Byron 'Whizzer' White, Colorado.
1939-Jerry Dowd, St. Marys; Elmer Tarbox, Texas Tech.
1940-Banks McFadden, Clemson.
1941-Charles Henke, John Kimbrough and Chip Routt, Texas A&M; Lou DeFilippo and Joe Ungerer, Fordham.
1942-Martin Ruby, Texas A&M; Jimmy Nelson, Holt Rast and Don Whitmire, Alabama.
1943-Jack Freeman, Roy McKay and Stanley Mauldin, Texas; Harvey Hardy and Jack Marshall, Georgia Tech.
1944-Joe Parker, Texas; Martin Ruby and Glenn Dobbs, Randolph Field.
1945-Neil Armstrong, Bob Fenimore and Ralph Foster, Oklahoma A&M.
1946-Hub Bechtol and Bobby Layne, Texas; Jim Kekeris, Missouri.
1947-Alton Baldwin, Arkansas; Y.A. Tittle, LSU.
1948-Doak Walker, SMU; Steve Suhey, Penn State.
1949-Kyle Rote and Doak Walker, SMU; Brad Ecklund and Norm Van Brocklin, Oregon.
1950-Billy Burkhalter, Joe Watson and James 'Froggie' Williams, Rice.
1951-Bud McFadin, Texas; Andy Kozar, Hank Lauricella and Horace Sherrrod, Tennessee.
1952-Keith Flowers, TCU; Emery Clark, Ray Correll and Babe Parilli, Kentucky.
1953-Richard Ochoa and Harley Sewell, Texas; Bob Griesbach, Tennessee.
1954-Richard Chapman, Dan Hart and Dicky Maegle, Rice.
1955-Bud Brooks, Arkansas; George Humphreys, Georgia Tech.
1956-Buddy Alliston and Eagle Day, Mississippi.
1957-Norman Hamilton, TCU; Jim Brown, Syracuse.
1958-Tom Forrestal and Tony Stremic, Navy.
1959-Jack Spikes, TCU; Dave Phillips, Air Force.
1960-Maurice Doke, Texas; Ernie Davis, Syracuse.
1961-Lance Alworth, Arkansas; Dwight Bumgarner, Duke.
1962-Mike Cotten and Bob Moses, Texas.
1963-Johnny Treadwell, Texas; Lynn Amedee, LSU.
1964-Scott Appleton and Duke Carlisle, Texas.
1965-Ronnie Caviness and Fred Marshall, Arkansas.
1966-Joe Labruzzo and David McCormick, LSU.
1967-Kent Lawrence and George Patton, Georgia.
1968-Grady Allen, Edd Hargett and Bill Hobbs, Texas A&M.
1969-Tom Campbell, Charles 'Cotton' Speyrer and James Street, Texas.
1970-Steve Worster, Texas; Bob Olson, Notre Dame.
1971-Eddie Phillips, Texas; Clarence Ellis, Notre Dame.
1972-Bruce Bannon and Lydell Mitchell, Penn State.
1973-Randy Braband and Alan Lowry, Texas.
1974-Wade Johnston, Texas; Tony Davis, Nebraska.
1975-Ken Quesenberry, Baylor; Tom Shuman, Penn State.
1976-Ike Forte and Hal McAfee, Arkansas.
1977-Alois Blackwell and Mark Mohr, Houston.
1978-Vagas Ferguson and Bob Golic, Notre Dame.
1979-David Hodge, Houston; Joe Montana, Notre Dame.
1980-Terry Elston and David Hodge, Houston.
1981-Warren Lyles and Major Ogilvie, Alabama.
1982-Robert Brewer, Texas; Robbie Jones, Alabama.
1983-Wes Hopkins and Lance McIlhenny, SMU.
1984-Jeff Leiding, Texas; John Lastinger, Georgia.
1985-Bill Romanowski and Steve Strachan, Boston College.
1986-Domingo Bryant, Texas A&M; Bo Jackson, Auburn.
1987-Chris Spielman, Ohio State; Roger Vick, Texas A&M.
