Players from four decades, including two Tech stars, are in first five of I-Bowl’s top 50 standouts
JOURNAL SPORTS
Standouts from four different programs, with two from separate Louisiana Tech squads including a Haughton product, comprise the first five players on the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl’s roster of the top 50 players in the local bowl’s history.
The top 50 was chosen by a local media panel as the bowl marks its 50th anniversary with this year’s edition set for Dec. 22.
The initial group represents four different decades of Independence Bowl football.
Over the next five months, the roster will be announced counting down from number 50 to number one in early December. Groups of five will be announced into late July.
Numbers 50-46 on the Independence Bowl’s All-Time Team:
No. 50 – Lorenza Baker (LB – Louisiana Tech, 1990) Baker, who played at Haughton High School, was named the 1990 Defensive Player of the Game in the only tie in the first 49 years of Independence Bowl history, as Louisiana Tech and Maryland finished the game locked at 34. Baker, who went on to play for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Canadian Football League (CFL), finished the game with nine solo tackles, 10 total tackles, one tackle for loss (TFL) and one sack.
No. 49 – Larry Anderson (DB – Louisiana Tech, 1977) Anderson, a member of the Louisiana Tech University Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 1988, recorded five solo tackles and six total tackles in the 1977 Independence Bowl in a 24- 14 victory over Louisville. That year, Anderson was named a third-team All-American. The Monroe-Neville product, a longtime Shreveport resident as an adult, was the second-leading punt returner in college football and scored four total punt and kickoff return touchdowns. He also intercepted five passes. After being selected in the fourth round of the 1978 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers, Anderson played from 1978-84 in the NFL. He was on back-to-back Super Bowl champion squads with the Steelers (Super Bowl XIII and XIV) and set a Super Bowl record, compiling 162 yards on five kickoff returns in Super Bowl XIV.
No. 48 – Bill Musgrave (QB – Oregon, 1989) Before becoming a well-known quarterback coach and offensive coordinator, Musgrave excelled at Oregon and was the Offensive Player of the Game in the 1989 Independence Bowl, passing for 320 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions, while also rushing for one touchdown. Musgrave was named first-team All-Pac-10 the next year for the Ducks before going in the fourth round of the 1991 NFL Draft. He spent from 1991 through 1996 in the league and was a member of the San Francisco 49ers Super Bowl XXIX championship team. He immediately began his coaching career in 1997 and has spent the next 29 years coaching, mostly as a quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator in college football and the NFL. He was named the New York Jets quarterbacks coach for the 2026 season.
No. 47 – Tremaine Edmunds (LB – Virginia Tech, 2015) Edmunds is the most-recent visitor to Shreveport among the first five on the All-Time team, appearing in the 2015 Independence Bowl in Hall of Famer Frank Beamer’s final game as a head coach. He totaled five tackles and 2.5 TFL against Tulsa in the 55-52 victory. Edmunds made two All-ACC teams in college – second-team in 2016 and first-team in 2017. He was selected in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft with the 16th overall pick. He has been named to two Pro Bowls in his first eight years in the NFL, and he recently signed a three-year, $36 million contract with the New York Giants during the 2026 off-season.
No. 46 – Booger McFarland (LB – LSU, 1995 & 1997) Maybe the biggest name of the first five, McFarland played in two Independence Bowls for LSU, recording one tackle in 1995 and two tackles and a pass breakup in 1997. He enjoyed a very successful college career in Baton Rouge, earning second team All-SEC honors in 1996, first-team All-SEC honors in 1998, and first-team All-American honors in 1998. He was also the SEC Freshman of the Year in 1995. Following his time at LSU, McFarland was selected with the 15th pick of the first round in the 1999 NFL Draft. He went on to win two Super Bowls – Super Bowl XXXVII with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and XLI with the Indianapolis Colts. McFarland has become one of ESPN’s lead NFL analysts and a top name across its football coverage.
The list of the I-Bowl’s top 50 all-time players was compiled by an experienced and diverse committee that included local media members and Independence Bowl representatives.
Players were nominated and evaluated based on the following criteria:
• 40 percent weight based on their Independence Bowl performance(s);
• 30 percent based on their college career and accolades;
• 30 percent based on their pro career and accomplishments.