AutoZone Liberty Bowl

DISTINGUISHED CITIZEN AWARD

The Distinguished Citizen Award is a time-honored tradition of the AutoZone Liberty Bowl. For more than 30 years, the Bowl has recognized some of America's most prominent citizens. The award has been presented to a cross-section of Americans from a wide range of professions, including military commanders, governors, and congressmen, as well as leaders in business, medicine, education, entertainment and sports.

LIST OF PREVIOUS HONOREES

2024

Joe Theismann

College Football Hall of Famer and Super Bowl Champion

2023

Jerry "The King" Lawler

Sports and Entertainment Icon

2022

Steve Spurrier

Former SEC Head Coach and Heisman Trophy Winner

2021

Peyton Manning

NFL Hall of Famer and 2-Time Super Bowl Champion

2019

Donald Dell

Tennis and Sports Business Innovator

2018

Priscilla Presley

Business Entrepreneur, Actress, Producer, Author and Philanthropist

2017

Tim McCarver

St. Louis Cardinals and National Baseball Hall of Famer

2016

Archie Manning

Ole Miss legend, College Football Hall of Famer

1968 AutoZone Liberty Bowl Champion

2015

Dick Vitale

Legendary College Basketball Analyst and Hall of Famer

2014

Bill Dance

Hall of Fame Fisherman

2013

Darrell Waltrip

NASCAR Hall of Famer

2012

Lee Corso

Coach & College Football Analyst

2011

Lou Holtz

Legendary Coach

2010

Bobby Bowden

Legendary Coach

2009

Tony Dungy

Super Bowl winning NFL Coach

2008

Kenneth E. Tovo

Brigadier General, U.S. Army

2007

Dr. Robert C. Khayat

Chancellor, University of Mississippi

2006

Phil Bredesen

Tennessee Governor

2005

Ambrose F."Bud" Dudley

Liberty Bowl Founder

2004

Frederick W. Smith

CEO, FedEx Corporation

2003

The Danny Thomas Family

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

2002

Pitt Hyde

AutoZone Founder

2001

New York City Police Officers, Firefighters & Emergency Workers

2000

Franco Harris

NFL Hall of Famer/ Running back, Pittsburgh Steelers

1999

Dr. Tom Osborne

Legendary Coach, Nebraska/ Former U.S. Congressman

1998

William B."Billy" Dunavant, Jr.

Business and Sports Entrepreneur

1997

G.V. "Sonny" Montgomery

U.S. Congressman

1996

Dr. Peter Doherty

Nobel Prize Recipient

1995

Rochelle Stevens

Olympic Gold Medal Winner

1994

Johnny Majors

Legendary Coach

1993

Dr. Adrian Rogers

Pastor

1992

Charles M. Neinas

Athletic Administrator

1991

Jerry Clower

Entertainer

1990

Alan C. Page

Professional Athlete/Judge

1989

Chris Schenkel

Sports Broadcaster

1988

Lindsey Nelson

Sports Broadcaster

1987

Walter Byers

Executive Director NCAA

1986

Fred Russell

Sports Writer

1985

Kemmons Wilson

Founder of Holiday Inn

1984

William Lawrence

Vice Admiral, U.S. Navy

1983

William Simon

Former U.S. Secretary of Treasury

1982

Eddie Robinson

Legendary Coach, Grambling

1981

Marguerite Piazza

Entertainer

1980

Pearl Bailey

Entertainer

1979

Danny Thomas

Founder of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

1978

Ben Abruzzo, Maxie Anderson & Larry Newman

Explorers

1977

Elvis Presley

Entertainer

1976

Roone Arledge

President, ABC Sports

1975

John McKay

Legendary Coach

1974

Paul "Bear" Bryant

Legendary Coach, Alabama

1973

John A. Dramesi

Lt. Col., U.S. Air Force

1972

Frank Leahy

Legendary Coach

First Downs
Most Rushing	24	Colorado vs. Alabama, 1969
Most Passing	25	Kansas vs. Arkansas, 2022
Most by Penalty	4	Alabama vs. Colorado, 1969
	4	Arkansas vs. Tennessee, 1971
Total	31	Kansas vs. Arkansas, 2022
Fewest Rushing	0	Tulane vs. Penn State, 1979
Fewest Passing	0	Ole Miss vs. Auburn, 1965
	0	Virginia Tech vs. Ole Miss, 1968
Fewest Total	8	Alabama vs. Penn State, 1959

Rushing
Most Attempts	73	Penn State vs. Oregon, 1960
Most Yards Gained	473	Colorado vs. Alabama, 1969
Fewest Attempts	23	East Carolina vs. Illinois, 1995
Fewest Yards Gained	-8	Tulane vs. Penn State, 1979

Passing
Most Attempts	58	Illinois vs. Alabama, 1982
Most Completions	37	Kansas vs. Arkansas, 2022
Most Yards Gained	544	Kansas vs. Arkansas, 2022
Percent Completed	82.4	Nebraska (14 of 17) vs. North Carolina, 1977
Fewest Attempts	2	Air Force vs. Mississippi State, 1991
Fewest Completions	1	Virginia Tech vs. Ole Miss, 1968
	1	Air Force vs. Ohio State, 1990
	1	Air Force vs. Mississippi State, 1991
Fewest Yards Gained	2	Virginia Tech vs. Ole Miss, 1968

Total Plays
Most Rushing and Passing	91	Baylor vs. LSU, 1985
Total Offensive Yards	681	Arkansas vs. Kansas, 2022
Fewest Rushing and Passing	47	Alabama vs. Penn State, 1959
Fewest Total Offensive Yards	131	Alabama vs. Penn State, 1959

Interceptions
Most Made by a Team	7	Alabama vs. Illinois, 1982
Most Int Return Yds	104	Tennessee vs. Arkansas, 1971

Points Scored
Largest Margin of Victory	37	Mississippi State 44, Rice 7, 2013
Most Points in Game (team)	55	Arkansas vs. Kansas, 2022
Most Points in Game (2 teams)	108	Kansas vs. Arkansas, 2022

Most Points (quarter)	24	Arkansas vs. Kansas, 2022

Most Points (half)	31	Colorado vs. Alabama, 1969
	31	Boise State vs. Louisville, 2004
	31	Arkansas vs. Kansas, 2022

Most Touchdowns (game)	7	Arkansas vs. Kansas, 2022
	7	Kansas vs. Arkansas, 2022


Most Field Goals (game)	4	East Carolina vs. Stanford, 1995

Fewest Points (game)	0	Alabama vs. Penn State, 1959
	0	Villanova vs. Oregon State, 1962
	0	Texas A&M vs. USC, 1975
	0	Air Force vs. Ole Miss, 1992
	0	East Carolina vs. Illinois, 1994
	0	Southern Miss vs. Utah, 2003

Fewest Points (two teams)	6	Oregon State 6 vs. Villanova 0, 1962

Attendance
Largest Crowd	63,816	Mississippi State vs. UCF, 2007

Rushing
Attempts	36	Cecil Sapp, Colorado Sate vs. Louisville, 2000
Yards Gained	254	Bob Anderson, Colorado vs. Alabama, 1969
Yards Lost	45	Alex Bowden, Auburn vs. Ole Miss, 1965
Net Yardage	254	Bob Anderson, Colorado vs. Alabama, 1969
Longest Run	99	Terry Baker, Oregon State vs. Villanova, 1962

Passing
Attempts	55	Tony Eason, Illinois vs. Alabama, 1982 & Jalon Daniels, Kansas vs. Arkansas, 2022
Completions	37	Jalon Daniels, Kansas vs. Arkansas, 2022
Interceptions	4	Allen McCune, West Virginia vs. Utah, 1964
	4	Tony Eason, Illinois vs. Alabama, 1982
	4	Marcus Crandell, East Carolina vs. Illinois, 1994
Yards	544	Jalon Daniels, Kansas vs. Arkansas, 2022
Longest Touchdown	89	Pete Gonzalez to Jake Hoffert, Pittsburgh vs. Southern Miss., 1997
Touchdown Passes	5	Jalon Daniels, Kansas vs. Arkansas, 2022
	4	Mark Herrman, Purdue vs. Missouri, 1980
	4	Johnny Johnson, Illinois vs. East Carolina, 1994
	4	Blake Mitchell, South Carolina vs. Houston, 2006
	4	Kyle Allen, Texas A&M vs. West Virginia, 2014
	4	Taylor Cornelius, Oklahoma State vs. Missouri 2018

Pass Receiving
Most Receptions	10	Bobby Joe Edmonds, Arkansas vs. Auburn, 1984
	10	Deon Branch, Louisville vs. Colorado State, 2000
	10	Allen Lazard, Iowa State vs. Memphis, 2017
	10	Luke Grimm, Kansas vs. Arkansas, 2022
Most Yards Gained	220	Jameon Lewis, Miss. State vs. Rice, 2013
Touchdowns	3	Sherrod Gideon, Southern Miss vs. Pittsburgh, 1997

Total Offense
Most Yards	565	Jalon Daniels, Kansas vs. Arkansas, 2022
	417	KJ Jefferson, Arkansas vs. Kansas, 2022

Interceptions
Most Interceptions	3	Louis Campbell, Arkansas vs. Tennessee, 1971
	3	Jeremiah Castille, Alabama vs. Illinois, 1982
Total Yards	92	Andy Avalos, Boise State vs. Louisville, 2004
Longest Runback	92	Andy Avalos, Boise State vs. Louisville, 2004

Scoring
Most Points	18	Bob Anderson, Colorado vs. Alabama, 1969
	18	Sherrod Gideon, Southern Miss vs. Pittsburgh, 1997
	18	Alex Singleton, Tulsa vs. Iowa State, 2012
	18	Alex Collins, Arkanas vs. Kansas State, 2015
Most Touchdowns	3	Bob Anderson, Colorado vs. Alabama, 1969
	3	Sherrod Gideon, Southern Miss vs. Pittsburgh, 1997
	3	Alex Singleton, Tulsa vs. Iowa State, 2012
	3	Alex Collins, Arkansas vs. Kansas State, 2015
Most Field Goals	4	Chad Holcomb, East Carolina vs. Stanford, 1995
Longest Field Goal	48	Tyler Jones, Boise State vs. Louisville, 2004
Most Extra Points	6	Dave Haney, Colorado vs. Alabama, 1969
	6	Greg Hogue, Ole Miss vs. Air Force, 1989
	6	Cam Little, Arkansas vs. Kansas, 2022

In 2018, the AutoZone Liberty Bowl celebrates 60 years of outstanding post-season college football action. AutoZone Liberty Bowl fans have welcomed legendary field generals and have witnessed unforgettable MVP performances by some of college football's finest athletes. We invite you to join in the festivities as these current gridiron heroes carry on what has become a time-honored Memphis and national tradition.

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