Historically, no college in football can go three-deep at the quarterback position like Alabama.
The Crimson Tide has produced three Hall of Famers who combined to win seven NFL championships: Bart Starr, Joe Namath and Ken Stabler.
Few college programs have been better suppliers of NFL talent at all positions than Alabama. NFL teams have drafted 405 players from the Crimson Tide, seventh-most of all colleges. But of late, Alabama is second to none.
The Crimson Tide has had at least one first-round pick in each of the last 12 NFL drafts. That’s twice as long as the next longest streak, six consecutive drafts by Ohio State.
Alabama also had had 10 consensus All-Americas at linebacker and four Butkus Award winners. The parade started with Lee Roy Jordan in 1962. He also was the first 14 Alabama linebackers selected in the first round of NFL drafts. Seven of them were selected in the Top 10 of drafts: Cornelius Bennett (second in 1987), Derrick Thomas (fourth in 1989), Keith McCants (fourth in 1990), E.J. Junior (fifth in 1981), Jordan (sixth in 1963), Barry Krauss (sixth in 1979) and Rolando McClain (eighth in 2010).
Bennett, Jordan, Thomas and Woodrow Lowe have all been enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame at linebacker, and Thomas also has a bust in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Here’s the Alabama all-time NFL team:
QB–Bart Starr, Hall of Fame
HB–Shaun Alexander, 2005 NFL MVP
FB–Le’Ron McClain, 2 Pro Bowls
WR–Don Hutson, Hall of Fame
*-WR–Julio Jones, 7 Pro Bowls
TE–Ozzie Newsome, Hall of Fame
OT–Chris Samuels, 6 Pro Bowls
OT–Andre Smith, 98 career starts
G–John Hannah, Hall of Fame
G–Evan Mathis, 2 Pro Bowls
C–Dwight Stephenson, Hall of Fame
DE–Mike Pitts, 36 ½ career sacks
DE–Jon Hand, 35 ½ career sacks
DT–Marcell Dareus, 2 Pro Bowls
DT–Marty Lyons, New York Sack Exchange
OLB–Derrick Thomas, Hall of Fame
MLB–Lee Roy Jordan, 5 Pro Bowls
OLB–Cornelius Bennett, 5 Pro Bowls
*-CB–Marlon Humphrey, 2 Pro Bowls
*-CB–Trevon Diggs, 2021 NFL Interception leader
*-S–Landon Collins, 3 Pro Bowls
S–Roman Harper, 2 Pro Bowls
P–Chris Mohr, 1,152 career punts
KR—David Palmer, Led NFL in KO returns in 1995
*–Still active
