The 1990 East Texas State football team established itself among some of the greatest Lion football teams, posting a 10-3 overall record and a 7-0 mark in Lone Star Conference play under Hall of Fame head coach Eddie Vowell, capturing the 22nd LSC crown in program history. It was ETSU's first LSC Championship in seven seasons.

Stockpiled with talent, the 1990 squad was comprised of 19 All-LSC selections, including nine first team honorees, with defensive end Terry Bagsby, cornerback Eric Turner and offensive tackle Dwayne Phorne each being named an All-American. The offense was led by Hall of Famers Bobby Bounds and Gary Compton as East Texas State ranked among the top-10 nationally in total offense, averaging 398 yards and 36.2 points per game.

The Lions advanced to the NCAA Division II playoffs for the first time, defeating Grand Valley State team 20-14 in the NCAA first round before falling to Pittsburg State in the quarterfinals. The 1990 team became just the fifth team in program history to win 10 or more games in a season as the Lions had the LSC’s Offensive (Bounds), Wide Receiver (Compton), Defensive (Bagsby) and Freshman (Billy Watkins) Player of the Year as coach Vowell was named the conference’s Coach of the Year.