Greatest WR in Tulane History? On SI Makes Its Choice
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2026 is the 100th anniversary of the opening of old Tulane Stadium in Uptown. This Summer, we are bringing you a series looking back at who we, at On SI Tulane, believe were the best to perform there or other venues for the Greenbacks. From running back to linebacker to wide receiver to quarterback, we will look at who shined the most for the Green Wave in its storied history. Two weeks ago, we gave our take on who we think was the greatest quarterback in the long line of outstanding QBs in Tulane history. Last week, the On SI Tulane choice for best halfback.
Earlier this week, we looked at the receivers who could make a difference in 2026 for new head coach Will Hall. Today, we look back at the many men who filled that role over the century-plus of Tulane football, and we begin with...
Halfback/Fullback Turned WR: Max McGee
We stretched the rules a bit for this one, but we felt it was necessary for Max McGee. He played high school football in White Oak, Texas, and was the very first player in American high school football history ever to rush for over 3,000 yards in a single season, doing so in 1949.
McGee played halfback and fullback for the Green Wave from 1951-1953, averaging 4.4-yards per carry, becoming an All-SEC selection (1952), and the team's leading rusher for three consecutive seasons while doubling as the Wave's punter. He set multiple records for kickoff returns and punt return yardage before being drafted by the Packers in 1954
McGee became a bit of a rabble-rouser once he joined the NFL in Green Bay. Toward the end of his career, the Packers played the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl I on "the frozen tundra" of Lambeau Field.
Despite famously staying out past curfew the night before the game, McGee came in off the bench to replace an injured Boyd Dowler and history was made. He caught 7 passes for 138 yards and two touchdowns in that game. When inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in1984, his story was one for the ages.
In the third play of Super Bowl I, Max McGee thought his worst nightmare was coming true.
Vince Lombardi, the volatile head coach of the Green Bay Packers, was standing in front of McGee, screaming his name.
McGee was certain that Lombardi had found out that McGee was out partying...until 7:30 in the morning.
“He’s going to fine me $10,000 in front of 100,000 people,” McGee thought to himself.
“McGee!” Lombardi bellowed again. “Get in there for Dowler!”
McGee had been seated next to Paul Horning, discussing Horning’s upcoming wedding. Only then did he realize that Boyd Dowler, the Packer’s starting flanker, was leaving the field after suffering a shoulder injury trying to block a KC linebacker.
...A few plays after McGee replaced Dowler, Packer quarterback Bart Starr froze the Kansas City Linebackers with a fake and threw to McGee—who was breaking across the middle.
The ball was slightly behind him, and McGee reached back with one hand, trying to break up an interception. The ball stuck in his hand while Chiefs safety Willie Mitchell went for the interception, and McGee had clear sailing to the first Super Bowl touchdown. He caught another touchdown pass in the third quarter.
Though he wasn't a true wide receiver at Tulane, McGee deserves mentioning here.
From Playing Field to Broadcast Booth: Steve Barrios
Most Tulane fans know the West Bank New Orleans drawl of Steve Barrios on Tulane radio during football broadcasts, but the Green Wave wide receiver set his name apart from others while playing Uptown in old Tulane Stadium.
After graduating from West Jefferson High School, Barrios led the Wave in receiving yards in 1969 and 1970. He still leads all Tulane wide receivers in career yards-per-reception, gathering in 60-catches for 1,197-yards for an eye-popping 19.95-yards per catch, while holding the record for a single-season yards-per-reception in 1969 at an incredible 25.25-yards every time he caught a pass.
Barrios went on to play professional football in the World Football League for Jacksonville and Birmingham. In 2000, he was inducted into the Tulane Athletics Hall of Fame.
According to our reckoning, he has been in the booth doing color analysis of Green Wave football games for 48-years.
Prolific, Offense Altering: Marc Zeno
After a standout football and basketball career at Lutcher High School, Marc Zeno earned a football scholarship under coach Wally English in his last year as Tulane coach, 1984, redshirting his freshman year at Tulane. When Mack Brown took over, Zeno proceeded to set football receiving records for the Green Wave that stand to this day. He formed a sensational dynamic duo with another Lutcher product, quarterback Terrence Jones, leading the Green Wave to the 1987 Independence Bowl.
When Zeno was graduated, his name would be in front of every receiving record in Tulane’s book – 236 catches, 25 touchdowns, and seventeen 100-yard receiving games. Showing his durability, he started 44-straight games for the Wave. He departed Tulane in 1987 as the NCAA’s all-time leading receiver with 3,725 yards. He recorded over 1,000 yards receiving in three straight years. His record for receiving yardage, most 100-yard receiving games, and receptions still stands in the Green Wave annals and his career receiving yards still rank 26th in NCAA history.
In 1988, Zeno was selected in the seventh round of the NFL draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers. His draft valued dropped from its original expectation because of off-season knee injuries and a less-than-expected performance at NFL combines that year. He ended up playing in the Canadian Football League for a couple of years. Zeno was selected to the New Orleans Sports Hall of Fame in 2016 and the Tulane Athletic Hall of Fame in 1997.
Pure Speed, Tragic End: JaJuan Dawson
Part of Buddy Teevens last recruiting class, JaJuan Dawson benefitted from a rocket sled of an offense run by Rich Rodriguez in the two years under the Tommy Bowden regime, plus some pretty prolific arms in Shaun King and Patrick Ramsey, but to only give those men the credit does not give Dawson his due.
The H.L. Bourgeois High School product's numbers grew exponentially as he matured at Tulane:
1996: (Fr) 18-catches for 211-yards and 1-touchdown
1997: (Soph) 52-catches for 839-yards and 10-touchdowns
1998: (Jr) 74-catches for 1030-yards and 12-touchdowns
1999: (Sr) 96-catches for 1051-yards and 8-touchdowns, plus 14-kick returns for 328 yards
Dawson totaled 234-passes caught for 3,048-yards and 31-touchdowns. He holds Tulane's single-game record, grabbing 16 against SMU in 1999, and the single-season reception record of 96-catches in only 10-games that same year.
Shortly after his four-year NFL career, Dawson tragically died in a swimming accident in 2015 at the age of 37.
And the Hits Just Keep on Coming...
Add to that, the incredible wide outs who have made their mark on the Tulane gridiron:
- Jerome McIntosh (1986-1989) Played alongside Zeno, later becoming the primary target with 2,109-career yards on 126-catches and holds the school record for the most receiving yards in a single game, 271-yards against Vanderbilt in 1989.
- Wil Ursin (1990-1993) Caught anything near him, amassing an incredible 2,466-yards during difficult offensive years for Tulane when the Wave could only manage 11-wins in his four years.
- P.J. Franklin (1995-1998) Was the deep threat for Shaun King to find during the 1998 Perfect Season, finishing his career with 158-receptions for 2,260-yards.
- Roydell Williams (2000-2004) Sits second in Tulane history in receiving yards with 3,207 behind only Zeno. Still holds the Conference-USA career record for touchdowns with 35.
The On SI Tulane Greatest Wide Receiver: Marc Zeno
There is much to be said about the countless outstanding wide receivers who have played at Tulane, but none did it as consistently or as bountifully as Marc Zeno.
His records speak for themselves. Though not the fleetest of foot, Zeno was Tulane's answer to the NFL's Steve Largent (or Cooper Kupp for you youngsters): everything thrown his way was a catch. His physicality was second to none, fighting off defenders for the ball and making almost impossible catches regularly.
Zeno thrived when Tulane was struggling under Wally English in his last year and for the three years Mack Brown was coach, only one of which was a season in which the Green Wave hit the even-Stephen mark. He made an impact no matter who was the quarterback, setting marks that are still not eclipsed in Tulane history.
Thus, the On SI Tulane pick for the best wide receiver in Green Wave history is Marc Zeno.
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Doug has covered a gamut of sporting events in his fifty-plus years in the field. He started doing sideline reporting for Louisiana Tech football games for the student radio station. Doug was Sports Director for KNOE-AM/FM in Monroe in the mid-80s, winning numerous awards from the Louisiana Sports Writers Association for Best Sportscast and Best Play-by-Play. High school play-by-play for teams in Monroe, Natchitoches, New Orleans, and Thibodaux, LA dot his resume. He did college play-by-play for Northwestern State University in Natchitoches for nine years. Then, moving to the Crescent City, Doug did television PBP of Tulane games and even filled in for legendary Tulane broadcaster, Ken Berthelot in the only game Kenny ever missed while doing the Green Wave games. His father was an alumnus of Tulane in the 1940s, so Doug has attended Tulane football games in old Tulane Stadium, the Superdome, and Yulman. He was one of the 86,000 plus on December 1, 1973, sitting in the North End Zone to seeTulane shutout the LSU Tigers, 14-0. He was there when the Posse ruled Fogelman and in Turchin when the Wave made it to the World Series. He currently is the public address voice of the Tulane baseball team.