Cotton Bowl driver program turns 50

Cotton Bowl driver Lauren West, right, was the personal driver for Cotton Bowl Athletic Association Chairman Jay McCauley this week.

   This year's Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic marked the 50th year for the driver pool program. With vehicles provided by local auto dealer Fin Ewing and his family, around 60 drivers provide transportation for coaches and administrators for the competing teams every year.
   To commemorate the oldest and most successful driver program among all bowls, Fin Ewing's mother, 84-year-old Gail Ewing, had the honor of doing the coin toss before tonight's game.
   The drivers are college students, such as Lauren West of the University of Texas pictured above, who put in long hours to provide a key facet of the Cotton Bowl's famed hospitality. Over the years, drivers have gained valuable friendships and contacts through participating in the program. Some former drivers are now Cotton Bowl board members, and even a few marriages have resulted from first meetings in the driver pool.