Former Arkansas football All-American Dick Bumpas has been selected as one of the 14 inductees into the 2023 SEC Football Legends class, the conference announced Thursday.
The group of former football standouts – one from each current member school – will be honored at events surrounding the SEC Football Championship Game in Atlanta on Dec. 2.
Although Bumpas played for the Razorbacks while they were still in the Southwest Conference, the SEC continues to annually honor past players from each school.
Bumpas was a three-year letterwinner at defensive tackle for Arkansas, from 1968-70. In 1970, he was named an Associated Press first-team All-America selection, as well as an All-Southwest Conference honoree. He recorded 53 tackles that season, leading the Hogs to a 9-2 record, before being named MVP of the Blue-Gray Game.
He went on to play professionally in the Canadian and World Football Leagues, before embarking on a 38-year college coaching career. Bumpas served as a graduate assistant at Arkansas in 1977, then served as the Razorbacks’ defensive line coach in 1989, when they won their second-consecutive SWC title. During his illustrious career, he won championships in four different conferences, and was a three-time Broyles Award finalist, presented annually to the nation’s top assistant coach.
Bumpas retired from coaching following the 2014 season, after serving 11 seasons as the defensive coordinator at TCU. The Horned Frogs led the nation in total defense for three straight years under Bumpas, from 2008-10. He was inducted into the University of Arkansas Sports Hall of Honor in 2006, the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame in 2011, and the Southwest Conference Hall of Fame in 2017.
The SEC’s 14 new legends will be honored at the 2023 SEC Football “Weekend of Champions” Dec. 1-2 in Atlanta highlighted by the annual SEC Legends Celebration presented by T-Mobile on Friday, Dec. 1, at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta. The group will also be recognized prior to the SEC Football Championship Game, which will be held at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Saturday, Dec. 2.
This year’s class includes All-Americans, All-SEC selections, Academic All-Americans and NFL standouts. The group represents teams that won SEC Championships, won Super Bowl titles and are represented in state, school and college football halls of fame.
THE 2023 SEC FOOTBALL LEGENDS
Alabama – Andre Smith, Offensive Tackle, 2006-08
Arkansas – Dick Bumpas, Defensive Tackle, 1968-70
Auburn – Ed King, Offensive Lineman, 1988-90
Florida – Shane Matthews, Quarterback, 1990-92
Georgia – Knowshon Moreno, Running Back, 2007-08
Kentucky – Wesley Woodyard, Linebacker, 2004-07
LSU – James Britt, Defensive Back, 1979-82
Ole Miss – Patrick Willis, Linebacker, 2003-06
Mississippi State – Reggie Kelly, Tight End, 1995-98
Missouri – Chase Coffman, Tight End, 2005-08
South Carolina – Marcus Lattimore, Running Back, 2010-12
Tennessee – Joey Kent, Wide Receiver, 1992-96
Texas A&M – Ray Childress, Defensive Lineman, 1981-84
Vanderbilt – Jamie Winborn, Linebacker, 1998-2000