SHREVEPORT – On Tuesday, The Shreveport Times, in conjunction with the 40th Anniversary of the Independence Bowl sponsored by Camping World, began rolling out its 40 greatest players with McNeese's Leonard Smith starting off the list at No. 40.
 
Smith, a Baton Rouge native, played for the Cowboys from 1980-82 and was an AP All-American in 1982. As a sophomore, he and the Cowboys played in the 1980 Independence Bowl, falling to Southern Mississippi by a 16-14 in the final minute.
 
Smith recorded a couple of tackles in the game as he was mostly played away from.
 
Following his senior season, he was drafted in the 1^st round (17 overall) in the 1983 NFL Draft by the St. Louis Cardinals. He played nine seasons in the NFL (Cardinals, 1983-88; Buffalo Bills, 1988-91), and appeared in two Super Bowls (1990, 91). He was a 1986 All-Pro selection.
 
He continues to hold the NCAA, Southland Conference and school record for career blocked kicks with 17.
 
A 1996 McNeese Hall of Fame inductee, Smith was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2014 and the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in 2015.
 
The 40 greatest players are selected by a committee made up of current and former Times employees who were told to give the I-Bowl performance about 40-percent weight and the college and pro careers 30 percent each.
 
The 40^th Camping World Independence Bowl will by played on Dec. 26 and is slated to feature a matchup between ACC and SEC teams.