Alabama Football: Top Ten wide receivers in Crimson Tide history
By Ronald Evans
No. 4 – David Palmer (1991-1993)
The Deuce, as Palmer was known for his jersey number two, was magic. Run, pass, catch – Palmer had abundant abilities for each. Alabama football has a long history of gifted athletes but David Palmer might be the Tide’s most talented triple-threat player.
At 5-feet-9 and no more than 165 pounds, Palmer earned the respect of his tough-minded head coach, Gene Stallings. Stallings described him,
"In all my coaching career, I don’t believe I’ve ever coached a player as gifted and talented as David."
Palmer was a tremendous kick returner and a terrific wildcat quarterback. He is arguably the most elusive runner in Crimson Tide history. None of his career receiver stats are in the top ten of Alabama football wideouts. He caught 102 passes for 1,611 yards and 11 Crimson Tide TD receptions.
Palmer is No. 5 for Tide single-season All-Purpose yards with 1,961 yards in 1993. He was also a consensus All-American in 1993 and finished third in the Heisman voting.
No. 3 – Julio Jones (2008-2010)
Julio Jones would be rated higher if his NFL career was considered. He was a very good college player who has become a great professional player.
After starting strong in his freshman season with 58 pass receptions, Julio was less productive as a sophomore. In the 2009 championship season, Greg McElroy passed for 2,508 yards. The distribution to receivers was balanced. Julio caught 43 of the Tide’s 198 completions for 596 yards. He was the Tide’s leading receiver but his totals were less because the Tide threw 63 passes to running backs and 30 passes to tight ends.
In the disappointing 2010 season, Julio caught 78 passes for 1,133 yards. His career numbers for the Crimson Tide are 179 receptions (No. 4); 2,653 receiving yards (No. 4) and 15 touchdown receptions (No. 6.)
Julio made many big plays for the Crimson Tide – none bigger than the one below.