VIP tickets at stake in Sun Bowl contest

EL PASO -- Legendary football coaches, Heisman Trophy winners and even an Oscar-nominated actor have played in the Brut Sun Bowl during the past 75 years.

And if you can name 23 of these players, you could win VIP passes to the 76th Sun Bowl game on Dec. 31.

The Sun Bowl Association kicked off its "Spirit of 76" contest this weekend. Participants can log on to www.sunbowl.org and view a poster with the pictures of 23 key figures in the history of the game.

Anyone who correctly names the 23 players and coaches on the poster could win a package worth $1,300 that includes two Captain's Club tickets to the game, admission to the pregame parties and VIP parking.

"This is a fun way of kicking off the festivities for the 76th version of the Sun Bowl," said Bernie Olivas, the association's executive director. "The poster contest is a great way to get our fans involved and to show our wonderful history."

Some of football's biggest names have played in the Sun Bowl. They include running backs Tony Dorsett (Pitt) and Barry Sanders (Oklahoma State). Each won the Heisman Trophy -- Dorsett in 1976 and Sanders in 1988 -- and each starred in the National Football League.

Others who played in the Sun Bowl made their mark off the field. Florida State halfback Burt Reynolds, who is better known for his work as an actor, played in the 1955 Sun Bowl. His Seminoles lost to UTEP, 47-20. Former college coach and current ESPN analyst Lee Corso also was on that Florida State team.

"There's  a little bit of everything," Olivas said. "We have had people that have played at the Sun Bowl and have made a great mark both on and off the field. We have a wonderful history."

The contest will be open through Nov. 30, and a winner will be announced in mid-December.

Besides the VIP grand prize winner, the association will give away five second-place prizes and 10 third-place prizes.

Second-place winners will receive $50 tickets to the Sun Bowl and parking passes. Third-place winners will receive $30 tickets to the game.

Olivas said he will give clues to the identities of the people on the poster during his weekly radio appearances on KROD-AM 600. The clues also will run in the El Paso Times.

George Cortez, who has attended the Sun Bowl for nearly 15 years, said he would give the contest a try in hopes of winning the VIP tickets.

"If I won, those would be the best tickets I would have ever had for any sporting event in my life," he said. "It's worth a shot."

Gustavo Reveles Acosta may be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ; 546-6133.