Poll: Who Is Your All-Time Favorite Crimson Tide Player?
By Editorial Staff
Making a list of great Crimson Tide players is a near-impossible task. There are simply too many variables to make an objective ranking of players over different eras and positions. This player may have broken records and had the most technical skill. That player may have been a leader pulled the team together and contributed to their success as a whole. Another player could simply be a childhood hero or someone you met as a youngster.
No matter the reason, there are Alabama players from the past and present that could be considered the greatest of all time. And here’s how my list looks:
Ozzie Newsome
Newsome was a four-year starter at the University of Alabama. He made the College Football All-America Team in 1977 and while he was with the Tide, they had an overall record of 42-6. He had 2,070 receiving yards with a 20.3 average yards per catch for his career, and was named Player of the Decade for the 1970s and is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame.
Mark Ingram
With his smile and leadership, combined with unbelievable skill, some might say Mark Ingram is the best Tide back ever. He is the only Tide player to win the Heisman trophy. He was named SEC Offensive Player of the Week, and surpassed Bobby Humphrey’s single-season rushing record with 1,542 yards. He was also a member of the team that defeated Texas in 2010 in the BCS National Championship game.
Joe Namath
Under the guidance of Paul “Bear” Bryant, Namath led the Tide to a national championship in 1964 and while there, the team compiled a 29-4 record over three seasons. Bryant once said that Namath was “the greatest athlete I ever coached.” He often caused a stir with his personality and is known as one of the most important players in Alabama football history.
Ken Stabler
I don’t think my father would speak to me if Stabler’s name wasn’t on this list. He deserves to be here, as he is one of the most famed Alabama quarterbacks. He also was coached by Bryant and took over as the starting quarterback in 1966, leading the team to an 11-0 season and a Sugar Bowl win. “Snake” had a career total of 2,196 passing yards and ended his career with a 28-3-2 record as a starter.
Rolando McClain
Rolando McClain did more for Alabama than anyone could’ve asked. In his sophomore year, he recorded 95 tackles and was Third-team All-American. His Junior year he recorded 105 total tackles that included 15.5 tackles for a loss. He also had four sacks, two interceptions and a forced fumble. He was named FWAA National Defensive Player of the Week after the Kentucky game in 2009. He too was a team member for Bama during the 2010 BCS National Championship and was later drafted 8th overall in April the same year.
Trent Richardson
I don’t think I could count the number of times I screamed, “Hand the ball to 3” this year on all my fingers and toes. The best part about Trent Richardson isn’t his ability to gain yards, though he’s brilliant at that. In fact, he rushed for 109 yards and two touchdowns during the 2010 BCS National Championship game. For me, he deserves this list for his ability to make tacklers miss, and bull his way to extra yardage while holding on to the ball better than anyone I’ve ever seen.
Terrence Cody
Terrence Cody could make this fact based on the 2009 Alabama-Tennessee game alone, in my opinion. The two blocks he made will go down in Alabama football history as one of the greatest moments ever. He led the SEC in rushing defense, allowing other teams a rushing average of 78.8 and 78.1 yards per game in 2008 and 2009. He got the name “Mount Cody” due to his appearance and his ability to dominate the other team, and was a critical component in the BCS National Championship game and he was also able to participate in the 2010 Senior Bowl.
Shaun Alexander
In terms of players that were fun to watch, it’s hard to beat Shaun Alexander. He was also a leader and someone who fans still talk about and smile. In 1996 as a redshirt freshman, he rushed for a school record 291 yards and four touchdowns in a 26-0 victory over LSU in Tiger Stadium. He left the University of Alabama holding 15 records and rushed for a career total of 3,565 yards.
David Palmer
I can still hear thousands of fans screaming out “Deuce” in the stands as David Palmer ran punts back and scored touchdowns. He played a variety of roles for the team, including his role as one of the first “wildcat” quarterbacks. He was the first 1,000-yard receiver in Alabama history, and was a consensus first-team All-American and finalist for the Heisman Trophy.
Others
Obviously, there is no way to narrow it down to just a few, and your favorite might be someone like: Julio Jones, John Hannah, Cornelius Bennett, Lee Roy Jordan, Derrick Thomas, Johnny Musso, Andre Smith, Jay Barker, Marty Lyons, DeMeco Ryans, Javier Arenas, Jeremiah Castille, Billy Neighbors, Antoine Caldwell, or any number of others.
Who is your all-time favorite Crimson Tide player?