College Football Hall of Famer Wesley Walls Named Number 16 on Independence Bowl All-Time Team

SHREVEPORT, La. (Aug. 24, 2026) – A member of the second of five Ole Miss teams to play in the Independence Bowl, College Football Hall of Famer Wesley Walls has been named the number 16 player on the Independence Bowl’s 50th Anniversary All-Time Team.

Walls, who played defensive end, linebacker and tight end throughout his collegiate career in Oxford, totaled three tackles, 1.5 tackles-for-loss and one pass breakup in the 1986 Independence Bowl vs. Texas Tech. He helped the Rebels’ defense hold the Red Raiders to 181 yards and 17 points, bringing Ole Miss their first of four Independence Bowl victories.

After playing both offense and defense his first three seasons at Ole Miss, Walls switched permanently to tight end – the position that would turn him into an NFL star. As a tight end, he earned first-team All-American and first-team All-SEC honors in 1988 after catching 36 passes for 426 yards and three touchdowns. Walls was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2014.

After flashing as a tight end his senior year, Walls was selected in the second round of the 1989 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers. He spent five years in San Francisco, catching only 11 passes, but he was on the Super Bowl XXIV championship team his rookie year and caught one pass in that game.

After playing only six games combined in 1992 and 1993 due to injury, Walls signed with the New Orleans Saints in 1994 and his career took off. He started off great in 1994, hauling in 38 passes for 406 yards and four touchdowns, before setting the Saints tight end record for receptions in a season in 1995 with 57. Those 57 receptions led to 694 yards and four touchdowns.

Walls signed with the Carolina Panthers in 1996 and had his best years in Charlotte, making five Pro Bowls and earning second-team All-Pro honors three times. He surpassed the 700-yard mark three times, and in seven seasons, he averaged 46 receptions and 557 yards. He was inducted into the Carolina Panthers Hall of Honor in 2019 alongside Jake Delhomme, Jordan Gross and Steve Smith Sr.

Ahead of the 2025 season, Walls was named one of five new members of the College Football Playoff Selection Committee and will serve his second season on the committee in 2026.

The next player on the Independence Bowl’s 50th Anniversary All-Time Team, No. 15, will be announced on Monday, August 31. Players will be announced individually every week, with No. 1 being announced on Monday, December 7.

Previously Announced Members of the All-Time Team

The first 34 players on the Independence Bowl’s 50th Anniversary All-Time Team, as previously announced, include:

• No. 17 – Joe Morris (RB – Syracuse, 1979)
• No. 18 – Ray Childress (DT – Texas A&M, 1981)
• No. 19 – Sidney Rice (WR – South Carolina, 2005)
• No. 20 – Brad Smith (QB – Missouri, 2003 & 2005)
• No. 21 – Derrick Mason (WR – Michigan State, 1995)
• No. 22 – Garrison Hearst (RB – Georgia, 1991)
• No. 23 – Jacob Rodriguez (LB – Texas Tech, 2023)
• No. 24 – Tim Krumrie (NG – Wisconsin, 1982)
• No. 25 – Muhsin Muhammad (WR – Michigan State, 1995)
• No. 26 – Ja’Mar Toombs (RB – Texas A&M, 2000)
• No. 27 – Otis Wilson (LB – Louisville, 1977)
• No. 28 – A.J. Green (WR – Georgia, 2009)
• No. 29 – Rocky Calmus (LB – Oklahoma, 1999)
• No. 30 – Flozell Adams (OT – Michigan State, 1995)
• No. 31 – Willie Blade (DT – Mississippi State, 2000)
• No. 32 – Scott Thomas (S – Air Force, 1983 & 1984)
• No. 33 – Chad Hennings (DT – Air Force, 1984)
• No. 34 – Dameyune Craig (QB – Auburn, 1996)
• No. 35 – Geno Atkins (DT – Georgia, 2009)
• No. 36 – Rondell Mealey (RB – LSU, 1997)
• No. 37 – Rolando McClain (LB – Alabama, 2007)
• No. 38 – Weldon Brown (CB – Louisiana Tech, 2008)
• No. 39 – Andre Smith (OT – Alabama, 2006 & 2007)
• No. 40 – Tiki Barber (RB – Virginia, 1994)
• No. 41 – Puka Nacua (WR – BYU, 2021)
• No. 42 – Gary Kubiak (QB – Texas A&M, 1981)
• No. 43 – Seneca Wallace (QB – Iowa State, 2001)
• No. 44 – Todd McClure (C – LSU, 1995 & 1997)
• No. 45 – Gary Anderson (K – Syracuse, 1979)
• 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)

Selection & Ranking Criteria and Committee

The list of the top 50 all-time players was compiled by an experienced and diverse committee that included local media members and representatives from the Independence Bowl. 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

To read more about the nomination and selection process, release schedule and selection and ranking committee, visit RadianceTechnologiesIndependenceBowl.com/news.

ABOUT THE RADIANCE TECHNOLOGIES INDEPENDENCE BOWL™

Established in 1976, the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl™ is college football’s 11th most historic bowl game, with the 50th anniversary game set for Tuesday, December 22, 2026 at 7:30 p.m. CST on ESPN. Radiance Technologies is the bowl’s title sponsor through at least the 2027 Bowl Season. 

The Independence Bowl Foundation is a prominent presence in the Shreveport-Bossier City area throughout the year, hosting events to enhance the economic impact and growth of our community. The Mission of the Independence Bowl is to attract and provide quality, nationally recognized football competition oriented to the Ark-La-Tex region. For more information, visit RadianceTechnologiesIndependenceBowl.com or follow the bowl on Facebook, X and Instagram at @IndyBowl.