The Saban Top 100: Ranking the Best Alabama Crimson Tide Players of the Nick Saban Era
Those reading this entire series will probably have the same reaction over and over again …
“That guy should be higher up on the list.”
And the person will be correct, nearly every time. However, it’ll only help put into perspective the kind of stellar football program Nick Saban has built at the University of Alabama.
Over the course of the 2020 season, whatever shape and form it may eventually take, we’ll be counting down the top players of Alabama’s ongoing dynasty under the coach. The Saban Top 100 will be unlike any ranking in college football history, yet only goes back to the 2007 season.
Consider the following over that time period. The Crimson Tide's had:
• 96 players selected in the NFL draft, including 33 in the first round.
• 57 selections as first-team All-Americans, featuring 35 consensus honorees.
• 79 chosen as All-SEC.
That’s just first-team. The line was drawn at second-team because combined you’re already talking about roughly 120 players, not including anyone on the active roster. They were deliberately omitted due to having incomplete resumes compared to their predecessors, although numerous players could be candidates for any updated version, even next year.
So not every drafted player made the cut.
Neither did every All-SEC player.
Accolades weighed heavily in the selection process, as did being named a team captain. Having one’s name in concrete at Denny Chimes is still considered the highest honor a Crimson Tide player can receive from his teammates.
With each player we’ll include a synopsis of his biggest accomplishments and a small writeup, often derived from during his time with the Crimson Tide.
We hope you enjoy this special project, which has been a long time in the making.
The countdown begins ….
