Friday 5: Greatest Crimson Tide Players to Wear #12
By Tony Breland
The number twelve is a part of Crimson Tide lore. For nearly two decades, any representation of Alabama’s uniform used a helmet with a 12 on it. For years this symbolized Alabama’s football championships; but it also paid tribute to the roster of Tide legends that sported the magic number.
Here’s our completely unscientific countdown of the greatest players to don the legendary 12 jersey for the Tide. If you think there’s an omission, or that the selections are out of order, feel free to dispute us in the comments section.
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5 Paul Bryant
No video is available of Bryant’s college exploits, but he was part of the 1934 national championship team, playing end alongside NFL legend Don Hutson. Bryant famously played against rival Tennessee with a partially-broken leg in 1935, setting the standard for hatred of the Volunteers. Though his playing days were relatively unexceptional, the coach he became made it an honor for the players who wore his jersey thereafter.
4 Greg McElroy
“Game manager” can be a term of derision among fans, but McElroy turned that into a badge of honor. By his senior season, McElroy was in the Tide record books and was Saban’s coach on the field, guiding an almost uncannily balanced offense. His crowning moment was The Drive against Auburn, capped off by a touchdown pass preserving Alabama’s championship hopes. The 2009 season ended with Alabama hoisting the BCS trophy, and McElroy had managed another Tide championship.
3 Joe Namath
Broadway Joe was the first crossover star of the NFL, and remains the gold standard of superstar jocks. But before he was the media sensation he became, he was Coach Bryant’s black sheep; a free sprit that tested Bryant’s iron will. Though his stats aren’t impressive at first glance, he played in Bryant’s grind-it-out system, and led the team to the 1964 national championship. Namath was a prototype who left Alabama to become a superstar.
2 Brodie Croyle
Stats don’t lie. Number two in career yards and touchdown passes. Most passes without an interception. Croyle was a gunslinger that helped modernize Alabama’s offense, as it transitioned out of the Bryant-Stallings model into a balanced offense. Though he was injury-prone and titles eluded him (as did, some will say, the ability to put touch on the ball), he gave Tide fans something to cheer for in the Shula era, and for good or ill, prolonged his coach’s tenure.
1 Ken Stabler
If you allow that the 1966 Tide are uncrowned champions, Ken Stabler was a part of three consecutive championship teams. He provided Alabama fans with the legendary “Run in the Mud,” as well as numerous stories about his off-the-field activities. Snake was larger than life on the field and off, but backed up his antics with results, leading the Tide to an undefeated season and the Raiders to a Super Bowl victory.