Bama in the NFL: Few Accolades, but Some Super Bowls with Los Angeles Rams

Broadway Joe may have went to California, but the franchise has never used a first- or second-round draft pick on a Crimson Tide player.

Christopher Walsh | Aug 11, 2023

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Alabama Crimson Tide

No one knew it at the time, but when the Los Angeles Rams selected Alabama Crimson Tide linebacker Terrell Lewis with the No. 84-overall pick in the 202 NFL Draft, they made team history.

It marked the first time that the Rams took an Alabama product in the first three rounds of a draft. Lewis was the 13th Crimson Tide player to be selected by the franchise, but all had been in the fourth round or later.

The Rams remain one of just two NFL franchises to have never used a first- or second-round draft pick on an Alabama player. The other made surprise you, the Chicago Bears (ironically the team that signed Lewis as a free agent after he was waived by the Rams).

But it does help explain why the Rams record book is pretty much empty when it comes to the accolades of former Alabama players. Granted, a few have been part of some Super Bowl teams, especially recently with safety Mark Barron and defensive tackle A'Shawn Robinson, but no one has had an All-Pro season or been named to the Pro Bowl.

Mostly, the limited Rams-Crimson Tide connection is best known for two quarterbacks. Jeff Rutledge, who had a 14-year career mostly as a backup, was drafted by the organization and played in Los Angels from 1979-81.

It's also where Joe Namath played his final season. After making his mark with the New York Jets, both with his signing (the quarterback was selected in both the AFL an NFL draft) and leading the Super Bowl III win, the team was struggling and in rebuilding mode with former Crimson Tide quarterback Richard Todd already on the roster.

Even though they too were fresh off a quarterback controversy, with Pat Haden having emerged as the starter, the Rams signed Broadway Joe to a one-year contract (for a reported $150,000) in 1977.

Ron Fimrite wrote in Sports Illustrated: "Certainly Haden has had his fill of it, even though in Namath he has a formidable rival who is his nearly exact opposite in most respects. Namath is hobbled, while Haden is nimble enough to scramble. Namath is 10 pounds lighter than usual; Haden, at a still-bantam 182, is 10 pounds heavier. Namath, the media darling, remains above the battle; Haden is among the most accessible of athletes. Namath has the Latin-lover look; Haden is the reincarnation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's Princeton hero, Hobey Baker, who in another time, among persons of different taste, would be the all-American boy. Joe Namath is the pluperfect bachelor; Haden is married.

"Namath has a reputation as a braggadocio, as reflected in the title of an early autobiography, I Can't Wait Until Tomorrow 'Cause I Gel Better Looking Every Day. Haden, in collaboration with author Robert Blair Kaiser, also has a book on the shelves, My Rookie Season with the Los Angeles Rams. But Haden was so embarrassed by the amount of work Kaiser devoted to the project he suggested that Kaiser should receive most of the profits. Kaiser, who has collaborated with such towering egos as lawyer Melvin Belli, was flabbergasted by Haden's humility. He also refused to change their 50-50 agreement.

"It is reasonable to assume that Namath will spend his off-hours in Beverly Hills' Polo Lounge or some such film colony watering hole; Haden may be found in a library. A graduate in English literature from USC, he will complete his Rhodes scholarship studies next June at Oxford, working in a field that involves philosophy, economics and politics."

However, the 34-year-old with knee issues only played in four games for the Rams. Haden led Los Angeles into the NFC playoffs, and after it was eliminated Namath announced his retirement.

Bama in the NFL: Los Angeles Rams

The Franchise

National Football Conference

West Division

Team Colors: Rams Royal and Sol

Founded: 1930 as the Cleveland Rams. They relocated in 1946 to Los Angeles. After the 1994 season the Rams moved to St. Louis, where they stayed through the 2015 season before moving back to Los Angeles.

Stadium: SoFi Stadium (capacity 71,500)

Playing Surface: Artificial Turf (Hellas 44oz. Matrix System)

Training Camp: UC Irvine

All-Time Alabama Players

Includes Los Angeles Dons, Cleveland Rams and St. Louis Rams

Don Avery, T, 1948
Mark Barron, DB, 2014 - 2018
George Bethune, LB, 1989 - 1990
Lew Bostick, OG/OT, 1939, 1942
Kenneth Darby, RB, 2008 - 2010
Jack Gregory, G, 1941
Tom Hupke, OG/OT, 1938 - 1939
Marquis Johnson, DB, 2010 - 2011
Barrett Jones, OG, 2013 - 2014
Terrell Lewis, LB, 2020 - 2022
Joe Namath, QB, 1977
Norm Olsen, OT, 1944
David Ray, K, 1969 - 1974
Hosea Rodgers, FB, 1949
A’Shawn Robinson, DT, 2020 - 2022
Jeff Rutledge, QB, 1979 - 1981

Crimson Tide Players Drafted

Year	Player	Pos.	Round	Pick	Overall
1939	Lew Bostick	G	9	3	73
1940	Bob Wood	T	4	5	30
1943	Sam Sharp	E	14	5	125
1945	Johnny August	TB	8	5	70
1945	Jack Aland	T	13	5	125
1945	Charley Compton	T	30	5	312
1946	D.J. Gambrell	C	26	10	250
1955	Tom "Corky" Tharp	B	6	6	67
1979	Jeff Rutledge	QB	9	26	246
1989	George Bethune	LB	7	21	188
2010	Marquis Johnson	S	7	4	211
2013	Barrett Jones	G	4	16	113
2020	Terrell Lewis	LB	3	20	84

Super Bowl Appearances

A’Shawn Robinson, Terrell Lewis and Carson Tinker, Super Bowl LVI (Feb. 13, 2022)

Robinson started and had six tackles including one for a loss, but the game came own to a 79-yard rive as Cooper Kupp's 1-yard touchdown catch on a pass from Matthew Stafford with 1:25 remaining gave the Rams the 23-20 victory over the Bengals.

Jeff Rutledge, Super Bowl XIV (Jan. 20, 1980)

Rutledge was part of three Super Bowls during his NFL career, but backed up Vince Ferragamo during this 31-19 loss. The game was closer than the score indicated, with Rams ahead 13-10 and 19–17 at the beginning of the fourth quarter. But the Steelers held the Rams scoreless in the fourth quarter and scored two touchdowns for the win.

Mark Barron, Super Bowl LIII (Feb. 3, 2019)

While his cousin, Dont'a Hightower was on the other side, the safety made eight tackles and had a pass defensed in the lowest-scoring Super Bowl. However, the Patriots finally reached the end zone for the 13-3 victory,

New England Patriots wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson (84) is tackled by Los Angeles Rams nose tackle Ndamukong Suh (93) and inside linebacker Mark Barron (26) during the second quarter of Super Bowl LIII at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. — Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

Major Awards/Honors

All-Pro

None

Pro Bowl

None

In conjunction with our revamped Bama in the NFL Database, this is the 19th story in a series examining the team-by-team history of Alabama's former players in the NFL.

AFC

NFC