Alabama Football: Top Ten wide receivers in Crimson Tide history
By Ronald Evans
No. 10 – Hoyt ‘Wu’ Winslett (1924-1926)
Winslett was a triple threat player. He caught passes, ran the football and also threw passes. In his best season (1926) he was primarily an end and a running back. Being end in the 1920s did not mean being a wide receiver as the position is known today. The most important job for ends of that era was to block on offense.
Winslett was blessed with so much talent he excelled wherever Alabama football coach, Wallace Wade played him. It is a stretch to include Winslett in a wide receiver list but in 1926 he became the Crimson Tide’s first All-American. Johnny Mack Brown before Winslett and later Harry Gilmer became better known for their multiple talents but Winslett is one of the best triple-threat guys in Alabama football history.
No. 9 – D.J. Hall (2004-2007)
On the basis of stats, Hall belongs on the list. His career stats are No. 3 behind Amari Cooper and Calvin Ridley in receptions and No. 2 behind Cooper in career receiving yards.
Hall was a gifted athlete and a flashy player. His many detractors fault him for football and non-football failings. On the football field, Hall had a clear aversion to passing routes in the middle of the field. That disinclination to make tough catches and aversion to taking hard hits made fans and some teammates doubt his commitment. Similarly, some of his purported (and later reported) off-field behavior reinforced the claim football was not his highest priority.
No. 8 – Dennis Homan (1965-1967)
Dennis Homan would be one spot lower on this list but he came to Alabama as a running back. He only had two seasons of consistent playing time and one of those, in 1966, Kenny Stabler (Homans’ roommate) looked for Ray Perkins as often as possible.
Going into his senior season, Homan had only 33 receptions in his Crimson Tide career. That senior season in 1967 was special for Homan though not so special for the Crimson Tide. He caught 54 passes in 1967 as Bryant’s team slumped to 8-2-1. As a senior Homan was named a consensus All-American and also an Academic All-American.
Dennis Homan finished his Alabama football career with 18 touchdown passes, good enough for No. 3 on the Crimson Tide career TD receptions list.