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Alabama Football: 30 Tide Greats who exceeded their 3-Star high school rankings

By Ronald Evans

Jan 11, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide fans in the crowd against the Clemson Tigers in the 2016 CFP National Championship at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 11, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide fans in the crowd against the Clemson Tigers in the 2016 CFP National Championship at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /
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Ed Stinson, Alabama football
Ed Stinson, Alabama football (Photo by Jackson Laizure/Getty Images) /

Alabama football players who exceeded 3 star ranking: 23. Ed Stinson

  • Homestead, FL
  • Defensive End (2009-2013)
  • 2009 Recruit Ranking: No. 352 Ranked Player in the Nation
  • 2013 All-SEC Second Team

When Ed Stinson was in the eighth grade, the guy who would become his high school basketball coach, saw Ed working out, reported the Miami Herald.

"“Here was this kid, about 6-2, 200 pounds with a rope tied around his waist attached to a tire with two 20 pound-weights inside of it, running in the rain on an outdoor basketball court outside the Police Athletic League gym in Homestead, I walked up to him and said, ‘What college do you play for?’ He said, ‘Coach, I’m in the eighth grade.’ ”"

That guy, high school coach Jim Herron, became a major figure in Stinson’s life. When Stinson was a junior in high school, Herron convinced Ed to try-out for the football team. Stinson was an immediate success, first playing tight end and later defensive line.

Ed Stinson grew up in a tough area without much assistance from his parents. Both parents had serious drug problems, the mother unable to care for Ed, the father incarcerated due to drug-related offenses.

Stinson’s step-mother, Betty Grant became his replacement parent when Ed was eleven-years-old. Without Herron and Grant and other adults, not related to Ed, it is clear he would have never made it to Alabama or any other college.

Stinson redshirted in 2009 and was a backup in 2010 and 2011. He was a two-year starter in 2012 and 2013. Being a member of three national championship teams is a long way from dragging a weighted tire on an outdoor basketball court in Homestead, FL.

When Alabama went to South Florida to play for the 2012 National Championship, his father, past prison and a productive citizen was able to see his son play. Betty Grant was able to attend the game as well.

Stinson was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the fifth round of the 2014 NFL Draft. In a four-season, NFL career, Stinson played in 33 games, with five starts.

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