Daily Dose of Crimson Tide: Steve Sloan

Need your fix of Alabama sports? BamaCentral has you covered with Steve Sloan

Special to BamaCentral

Between Joe Namath and Kenny Stabler, Steve Sloan handled the quarterbacking duties at Alabama. He not only led the Crimson Tide to the 1965 national championship but placed 10th in Heisman Trophy voting.

That same season he landed SEC MVP honors, and the Sammy Baugh Trophy as the best college quarterback (the award has been given out by the Touchdown Club of Columbus since 1959).

He completed 97 of 160 passes for 1,453 yards, and his 153.8 passing-efficiency ratio was the nation’s best.

But his ascent to the starter's job give a good idea of how the game of college football has changed over the years. 

Unable to play with the varsity as a freshman per NCAA rules, Sloan was Namath's backup during most of his sophomore season in 1963, but played in most games as a defensive back. He then stepped in at quarterback when Namath was famously suspended for Alabama's final regular season game and the Sugar Bowl, a 12-7 victory over Ole Miss. 

As a junior, Sloan was the primary quarterback with Namath injured. But in the 1965 Orange Bowl, after Alabama had already been voted No. 1, Sloan ended up sidelined and Namath came off the bench to win MVP honors despite Alabama losing, 21–17.

After a brief, two-year career in the National Football League with the Atlanta Falcons, Sloan turned his attention to coaching. 

He was named the Southeastern Conference's coach of the year after just his second year at Vanderbilt in 1974. Sloan received a similar conference honor at his next stop, Texas Tech (1974-77) in 1976, and also had coaching stints at Ole Miss and Duke.

Sloan returned to the Capstone and was athletic director from 1987-89, before having the same position at North Texas (1990-93), and Central Florida, where he oversaw the addition of football to the school’s athletic program. 

In 2002, Sloan returned to the state where he played his high school football, Tennessee, to become athletic director at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.