Rams’ All-Pro WR Nacua, LSU All-America OL McClure head latest group of I-Bowl All-Time Team selections
JOURNAL SPORTS
Current Los Angeles Rams All-Pro receiver Puka Nacua and recent Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame inductee Todd McClure, an LSU standout, are part of the latest five players announced as members of the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl 50th Anniversary All-Time Team.
The bowl had a local media panel select and rank the top 50 players in the half-century history of the local game. Criteria included performance in the I-Bowl, other collegiate achievements, and pro accomplishments. The 50th edition kicks off on Dec. 23 at Independence Stadium.
Five different decades are represented in this group, with players from the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s and 2020s. Numbers 45 through 41 announced Thursday on the Independence Bowl’s All-Time Team include:
No. 45 – Gary Anderson (K – Syracuse, 1979) Anderson, a native of South Africa, is regarded as one of the greatest kickers of all time – spending 23 seasons in the NFL. Kicking in the 1979 Independence Bowl during Syracuse’s 31-7 victory over McNeese State, Anderson had a perfect day – converting his lone field goal attempt from 40 yards and making all four of his extra point attempts. He was named first-team All-American in 1981 before being drafted in the seventh round of the 1982 NFL Draft. In his 23 seasons in the NFL, Anderson was named first-team All-Pro in 1983, made four Pro Bowl appearances and was the NFL’s scoring leader in 1998. For his career accomplishments, he was a member of both the 1980s and 1990s All-Decade Team and is a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers All-Time Team. Anderson is third in NFL history for points scored (2,434), field goals made (538) and games played (353), and he is also fourth in NFL history for extra points made (820).
No. 44 – Todd McClure (C – LSU, 1995 & 1997) McClure, who was inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in late June, started in two Independence Bowls for LSU – helping pave the way for two of the best rushing performances in the game’s history by Kevin Faulk in 1995 and Rondell Mealey in 1997. The Baton Rouge native was named first-team All-SEC twice (1997 and 1998) and All-American once (1998) before being drafted in the seventh round of the 1999 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons. McClure spent all 14 seasons of his professional career with the Falcons, starting for 195 of 198 regular-season games in Atlanta, and was called for only 17 penalties in that span due to his command of the technical aspects of offensive line play. He took over as the starting center his second season in the league and missed only one game over the next 13 seasons of his career. McClure was inducted into the Falcons Ring of Honor in 2022.
No. 43 – Seneca Wallace (QB – Iowa State, 2001) One of the many great quarterbacks to play in Independence Stadium, Wallace earned 2001 Offensive Player of the Game honors after passing for 284 yards and rushing for 28 yards in a 14-13 loss to Alabama. That season, Wallace was named Big 12 Offensive Newcomer of the Year after passing for 2044 yards and 11 touchdowns (TDs), while also rushing for 475 yards and seven TDs. The next season, in 2002, Wallace upped his passing yardage to 3,245 yards and 15 TDs, and also rushed for 437 yards and 8 TDs on his way to earning second-team All-Big 12 honors. The Sacramento, Ca. native was drafted in the fourth round of the 2003 NFL Draft and spent 10 years in the NFL. For his NFL career, Wallace played 64 games, starting 22, compiling 4974 passing yards, 31 passing TDs and 19 interceptions.
No. 42 – Gary Kubiak (QB – Texas A&M, 1981) A second consecutive quarterback on the list who was named Independence Bowl Offensive Player of the Game, Kubiak led his Aggies team to a 33-16 victory over Jimmy Johnson’s 1981 Oklahoma State team – going 15-for-20 for 225 yards, two TDs and rushing for 34 yards. His best college season came the next year, 1982, when he was named to the All-Southwest Conference team after leading the conference in passing yards and TDs. Kubiak was drafted in the eighth round of the 1983 NFL Draft by the Denver Broncos and spent his entire nine-year career as John Elway’s backup quarterback in Denver. After his playing career, Kubiak earned a reputation as one of the best offensive coaching minds in football, working his way into two head coaching gigs – Houston Texans from 2006-2013 and Denver Broncos from 2015-2016. As a head coach, he led the Broncos to Super Bowl 50 victory in 2015, and he is the Texans’ career wins leader. He also won three Super Bowls as an assistant coach – one as the San Francisco 49ers’ quarterbacks coach in 1994 and two as the Broncos’ offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.
No. 41 – Puka Nacua (WR – BYU, 2021) One of the younger members of the Independence Bowl’s All-Time Team, Nacua may be one of the biggest current-day names on the list. Nacua only caught one pass for nine yards on a cold and rainy day in the 2021 Independence Bowl, capping off his best college season in which he caught 43 balls for 805 yards and six TDs. After 625 yards and five TDs in his senior season in Provo, Nacua was selected in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams, and his career has been on a rocket ship ever since. He quickly became one of the best players in the NFL – becoming the first rookie to lead the NFL in receiving yards (1,486) and breaking the record for most receptions in a game by a rookie (15). He was named to the 2023 PFWA All-Rookie Team, named second-team All-Pro and made his first Pro Bowl. After posting 990 yards in just 11 games in 2024, Nacua posted the best season of his young career in 2025. He led the NFL in receptions (129), first downs (80) and receiving yards per game (107.2). In total, Nacua racked up 1,715 receiving yards and a career-high 10 TDs in 16 games. He earned his second Pro Bowl nod and was named first-team All-Pro for the first time. His 95.3 receiving yards per game in his career are the highest mark of all players – active or retired.
Previously announced members of the bowl’s all-time team: No. 46 – Booger McFarland (LB – LSU, 1995 & 1997); No. 47 – Tremaine Edmunds (LB – Virginia Tech, 2015); No. 48 – Bill Musgrave (QB – Oregon, 1989); No. 49 – Larry Anderson (DB – Louisiana Tech, 1977); No. 50 – Lorenza Baker (LB – Louisiana Tech, 1990).
The next five (Nos. 36-40) will be announced Monday afternoon.