Isaac Bruce (2011) - M Club Hall of Fame - University of Memphis Athletics

Isaac Bruce

Induction:
2011

Isaac Bruce came to the Memphis football team as a wide receiver in 1992 after two stellar seasons in junior college. The speedy Bruce made an immediate impact on the Tiger football squad, earning a starting position before the opening game of 1992.

Coupled with junior college quarterback Steve Matthews, Bruce helped give Memphis one of the nation's top passing attacks. He started all 11 games as a junior and was the team's second-leading receiver with 39 receptions for 532 yards and five touchdowns.

However, it was the 1993 campaign that caught the attention of professional scouts. The Fort Lauderdale, Fla., native opened the 1993 season with seven catches for 112 yards and two touchdowns in the Tigers' road win at Mississippi State. He added 147 yards against East Carolina, 109 in a contest against Arkansas State and 108 in the Tulsa game. Bruce finished the 1993 season with a school-record 74 catches for 1,054 yards and 10 touchdowns. His 74 catches and 1,054 yards remain Memphis football records and his 10 touchdown receptions ranks fourth. His two touchdown catches against Miami earned him the ESPN Player of the Game Award.

Bruce was drafted in the second round by the St. Louis Rams in 1994. He ended his career, some 16 seasons later, in 2010, as the NFL's second all-time leading receiver with 1,024 receptions for 15,208 yards and 91 touchdowns. He also played for the San Francisco 49ers for two years.

In October of 2003, the University of Memphis officially retired Bruce's jersey in a ceremony held at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium.