Barry Krauss
Sugar Bowl Hall of Fame
Alabama
Sugar Bowls: 1978, 1979
Inducted: 2026
Photo Courtesy of the University of Alabama.
Barry Krauss is the key player in what is recognized as the greatest play in Sugar Bowl history as well as one of the most memorable plays in college football history. Second-ranked Alabama was clinging to a 14-7 lead over No. 1 Penn State with 6:44 remaining in the 1979 Sugar Bowl. The Nittany Lions had the ball on fourth down from the half-yard line. Penn State slammed the ball up the middle and Krauss became a Sugar Bowl legend by stopping the ball carrier for no gain and allowing Alabama to regain possession and eventually run out the clock to capture the national championship. Krauss finished that game with eight tackles and was named the game’s Most Outstanding Player. The star linebacker from Pompano Beach, Fla., also tallied six tackles in the 1978 Sugar Bowl as the Crimson Tide rolled to a 35-6 victory over Ohio State. A First-Team All-America selection as a senior in 1978, he was a first-round pick in the 1979 NFL Draft (sixth overall), Krauss played 12 years in the NFL (10 with the Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts and two with the Miami Dolphins). In 12 seasons, he played in 152 games, amassed over 1,000 tackles, and had 8 sacks and 6 interceptions. Krauss was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 2007.
