Daily Dose of Crimson Tide: Greg McElroy
He came in known as the player who filled the gap when star recruit Tim Tebow picked Florida over Alabama, but left holding numerous Crimson Tide records—including single-season passing yards with 2,987 in 2009.
That year he also helped lead Alabama to Nick Saban's only perfect season, the national championship, and was named MVP of the SEC Championship Game when the Crimson Tide knocked off No. 1 Florida and Tebow.
McElroy was a finalist for both a Rhodes Scholarship and Sports Illustrated’s Sportsman of the Year, and he nearly dethroned Jay Barker as Alabama’s winningest quarterback.
“I want people to remember me as just a teammate,” he said. “I want them to remember me as caring for the team, caring about winning, putting all individual accomplishment aside and just worrying about success of the football team. If people remember me as a winner, and people remember me as doing everything I possibly can to help the program succeed and the university succeed, then I’ll have done my job here.
“Quite frankly, Alabama owes me nothing. I owe everything to Alabama, and the opportunity to play here definitely shaped my life in a way I never could have imagined.”
Alabama Academic All-Americans
1961: Tommy Brooker, end; Pat Trammell, quarterback
1964: Gaylon McCollough, center
1965: Denis Homan, end; Steve Sloan, quarterback
1967: Bob Childs, linebacker; Steve Davis, kicker
1970: Johnny Musso, tailback
1971: Johnny Musso, tailback
1973: Randy Hall, defensive tackle
1974: Randy Hall, defensive tackle
1975: Danny Ridgeway, kicker
1979: Major Ogilvie, halfback
2002: Kenny King, defensive tackle
2009: Barrett Jones, guard; Colin Peek, tight end
2010: Barrett Jones, guard; Greg McElroy, quarterback
2011: Barrett Jones, tackle
2012: Barrett Jones, center
2014: Arie Kouandjio, guard
Some of this post originated from "100 Things Crimson tide Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die," published by Triumph Books