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The Best Alabama Crimson Tide Football Players of All Time

Updated May 20, 2020 69.0k votes 6.7k voters 163.1k views91 items

List RulesUpvote your favorite University of Alabama football players. No coaches should be included. Neither should Forrest Gump

This list ranks the best Alabama Crimson Tide players of all time. Football is a way of life in Alabama. The state is home to two of the most famous schools in NCAA history: Auburn and Alabama. The latter is one of the most recognized programs in the sport and recently has dominated college football behind some of the best players in school history. The football program started in 1892 and has established itself as one of the most iconic names in sports. Alabama has won 15 national championships and those teams featured some of the best players in Crimson Tide history. Many of Alabama's greatest players went onto achieve success in the NFL, including future Pro Football Hall of Famers like John Hannah, Ozzie Newsome and Derrick Thomas. Surprisingly, with the school's rich history of having a roster full of outstanding players, curiously has only one Heisman Trophy in its cabinet. In 2009, Mark Ingram barely nudged past Stanford running back Toby Gerhart to take the trophy back to Tuscaloosa.

In recent years, a good number of Alabama players have gone on to play in the NFL. Under the stewardship of Nick Saban, Alabama is going through its greatest stretch since the legendary Bear Bryant was at the helm. Needless to say, you won't find too many Alabama fans who are disappointed in the school's recent past.

This is the list of the best Bama Crimson Tide players of all time. If you notice someone is missing from the list, feel free to add him. Vote or rerank the list according to who you think is the greatest Alabama football player ever.

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1
1,895
559
Derrick Henry
Running back
Teams: Tennessee Titans
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#28 of 206 The Best NFL Running Backs of All Time#13 of 83 The Best Heisman Trophy Winners of All Time
2
2,196
663
Derrick Thomas
Linebacker
Birthplace: Miami, Florida
Age: Dec. at 33 (1967-2000)
Teams: Alabama Crimson Tide Football, Kansas City Chiefs
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#26 of 432 The Greatest Defenders in NFL History#7 of 154 The Greatest Linebackers of All Time
3
1,814
574
Amari Cooper
Wide receiver
Birthplace: Miami, Florida
Age: 26
Teams: Dallas Cowboys
4
1,587
398
Bart Starr
Quarterback
Birthplace: Montgomery, Alabama
Age: 81
Teams: Alabama Crimson Tide Football, Green Bay Packers
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#47 of 150 Athletes You Didn't Know Were Conservative#978 of 1,427 The Best Athletes Of All Time
5
2,741
919
Julio Jones
Wide receiver
Birthplace: Foley, Alabama
Age: 26
Teams: Atlanta Falcons
6
2,414
787
Joe Namath
Quarterback
Birthplace: Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, United States of America
Age: 77
Teams: Los Angeles Rams, Alabama Crimson Tide Football, New York Jets
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#463 of 904 Celebrity Death Pool 2021#103 of 329 The Most Obnoxious Athletes
7
1,303
387
Ozzie Newsome
Tight end
Birthplace: Muscle Shoals, Alabama, United States of America
Age: 59
Teams: Cleveland Browns
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#9 of 87 The Greatest Tight Ends Of All Time#11 of 57 The Best College Football Tight Ends of All Time
8
979
232
Minkah Fitzpatick
Defensive back
9
839
209
Calvin Ridley
Wide Reciever
Teams: Atlanta Falcons
Calvin Ridley is an american football wide receiver in the NFL. He plays for the Atlanta Falcons
10
1,691
589
Mark Ingram, Jr.
Wide receiver
Birthplace: Gaston, North Carolina
Age: 55
Teams: Green Bay Packers, Miami Dolphins, Philadelphia Eagles, New York Giants
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#13 of 54 The Best Michigan State Football Players of All Time#235 of 246 The Best Miami Dolphins of All Time
11
1,022
325
C.J. Mosley
Linebacker
Birthplace: Theodore, Alabama
Age: 28
Teams: Alabama Crimson Tide Football
12
1,458
506
Ken Stabler
Quarterback
Birthplace: Foley, Alabama
Age: 70
Teams: New Orleans Saints, Houston Oilers, Alabama Crimson Tide Football, Oakland Raiders
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#23 of 252 The Best Quarterbacks Of All Time#40 of 80 The Best NFL Player Nicknames
13
1,312
457
Dont'a Hightower
Linebacker
Birthplace: Lewisburg, Tennessee
Age: 30
Teams: New England Patriots

14
835
238
Landon Collins
Safety
Birthplace: New Orleans, Louisiana
15
1,413
577
Shaun Alexander
Running back
Birthplace: Florence, Kentucky, United States of America
Age: 43
Teams: Seattle Seahawks, Washington Redskins, Alabama Crimson Tide Football
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#151 of 322 People Who Should Be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame#7 of 25 The Best College Running Backs of the 1990s
16
999
381
Cornelius Bennett
Linebacker
Birthplace: Birmingham, Alabama
Age: 55
17
989
383
John Hannah
Guard
Birthplace: Canton, Georgia
Age: 69
Teams: Alabama Crimson Tide Football
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#9 of 246 The Best New England Patriots Of All Time#16 of 60 The Best NFL Players From Georgia
18
770
360
Don Hutson
End, Safety
Birthplace: Pine Bluff, Arkansas, United States of America
Age: Dec. at 84 (1913-1997)
Teams: Green Bay Packers
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#21 of 214 The Best Wide Receivers of All Time#59 of 96 The Greatest Defensive Ends of All Time
19
759
184
Bear Bryant
Defensive end
Birthplace: Fordyce, Arkansas
Age: Dec. at 70 (1913-1983)
Teams: Alabama Crimson Tide Football
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#260 of 432 The Most Important Leaders in U.S. History#2 of 133 The Best College Football Coaches of All Time
20
336
84
HaHa Clinton-Dix
21
938
617
Eddie Lacy
Running back
Birthplace: Gretna, Louisiana
Age: 30
Teams: Alabama Crimson Tide Football, Green Bay Packers
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#961 of 1,323 The Best Football Players Ever#9 of 31 Athletes Who Are Clearly No Longer Focused on the Game
22
489
295
Dre Kirkpatrick
Cornerback, Defensive back
Birthplace: Gadsden, Alabama
Age: 30
Teams: Alabama Crimson Tide Football, Cincinnati Bengals
23
460
258
Bobby Humphrey
Running back
Birthplace: Birmingham, Alabama
Age: 53
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#18 of 22 The Best 80s College Running Backs#88 of 106 The Best Denver Broncos of All Time

24
495
164
Jonathan Allen
Defensive end
25
567
366
Rolando McClain
Linebacker
Birthplace: Decatur, Alabama
Age: 31
Teams: Oakland Raiders, Baltimore Ravens