Alabama Football: 10 greatest quarterback-receiver duos of all time
By Ronald Evans
No. 5 Alabama Quarterback-Receiver Duo
- Blake Sims and Amari Cooper – 2014 Season
Blake Sims began his Alabama football career as a running back. His switch to quarterback was a slow one. After three seasons in Tuscaloosa, Sims had attempted 39 passes. Lane Kiffin deserves much credit for what happened to Sims in the 2014 season.
Blake’s performance was outstanding. So was Kiffin’s coaching. Neither man would have been so successful in 2014, if not for Amari Cooper. As a junior in 2014, Cooper was arguably the best receiver in college football.
Amari was also, without dispute, the best receiver in the SEC. Cooper caught passes for 1,727 yards in 2014. The No. 2 SEC receiver that season totaled 1,136 yards. Cooper caught 124 passes, with the SEC’s No. 2, making 77 receptions.
Sims and Cooper had games during which they were nearly unstoppable. Sims opened the season with 250 passing yards against West Virginia. Cooper got 130 of those yards. Against Florida, Sims had 445 yards passing with Cooper producing 201 yards.
Tennessee allowed Sims 286 yards through the air, with Amari getting 224 yards. Against Auburn, Cooper had 224 yards receiving from 13 receptions. Sims passed for 312 yards in that Iron Bowl win.