With many months to ponder the mystery of who will start this coming season as Alabama's QB still in front of us, let's take a look at some interesting (to me anyway) history surrounding the position:
Q. What do the first three Super Bowls have in common?
A. The winning QB was from Alabama: Bart Starr in Super Bowls I and II. Joe Namath in Super Bowl III.
While Starr, Namath and Stabler (and for some maybe even Richard Todd) are thought of as the "greats" to play the position at Alabama, Harry Gilmer might have been the best of them all. But he really wasn't a QB. In college, Alabama ran a different type of offense, the Notre Dame Box, and Gilmer played left halfback from 1944-47. During that time, Gilmer passed for 26 touchdowns and ran for 24. He passed for 2894 yards and rushed for 1673. His punting average was 36.4 yards. He averaged 28.7 yards on kickoff returns, 13.5 on punt returns. Not shabby in any era, but especially impressive for back then. Gilmer was the first overall pick in the 1948 NFL draft by the Washington Redskins.He was later traded to the Detroit Lions. He later was head coach of the Lions.
Q. Who was the last QB from Alabama to start and win an NFL game?
Hint: He played for Paul "Bear" Bryant... really.
A. Jeff Rutledge as a Washington Redskin. On Nov. 15, 1987, a 20-17 win on the road over Philadelphia.
Walter Lewis had a pretty good USFL career with the Memphis Showboats and played some with Montreal in the CFL.
McElroy finished a game as a winning QB with the Jets, but didn't start that game. He was filling in for Sanchez. He was the last Alabama QB to start an NFL game, but it was a 27-17 loss to San Diego on Dec. 23, 2012.
Barker won some XFL games and may have won a few with Toronto of the CFL.
Croyle was a third-round pick of the KC Chiefs. In all games started, he was 0-10 in the NFL.
Rutledge was a ninth-round pick of the LA Rams. In all games started, he was 2-7-1 in the NFL.
Since 1987, the year Rutledge won the NFL game, the following guys have started at least one NCAA game for Alabama:
Vince Sutton (1987-1988)
Jeff Dunn (1987-1989)
David Smith (1987-1988)
Gary Hollingsworth (1990)
Danny Woodson (1991)
Jay Barker (1991-1994)
Brian Burgdorff (1993, 1995)
Freddie Kitchens (1995-1997)
John David Phillips (1998)
Andrew Zow (1998-2001)
Tyler Watts (1999-2002)
Brodie Croyle (2002-2005)
Brandon Avalos (2003)
Spencer Pennington (2003-2004)
Marc Guillon (2004)
John Parker Wilson (2006-2008)
Greg McElroy (2009-2010)
AJ McCarron (2011-2013)
Blake Sims (2014)
We'll always have the names of Harry Gilmer, Bart Starr, Joe Namath, Kenny Stabler and Richard Todd to praise, but when you consider the success Alabama has had in the college game since Jeff Rutledge, it just goes to show that you don't have to have an exceptionally talented QB to win a national title in the college game... but it sure doesn't hurt, either.
Maybe A.J. McCarron will break the NFL streak. Maybe Blake Sims will continue to exceed expectations and make magic happen... and maybe, just maybe, the guy to do it is on our roster now.
Of course, a great NFL career isn't what it takes to be a great Alabama QB. Pat Trammell is widely accepted as a great Alabama QB. And Bart Starr did not have a very remarkable career until he got to the NFL.
Still, it has been a long time since we've had a guy who was great in college and went on to legendary status in the NFL.
Q. What do the first three Super Bowls have in common?
A. The winning QB was from Alabama: Bart Starr in Super Bowls I and II. Joe Namath in Super Bowl III.
While Starr, Namath and Stabler (and for some maybe even Richard Todd) are thought of as the "greats" to play the position at Alabama, Harry Gilmer might have been the best of them all. But he really wasn't a QB. In college, Alabama ran a different type of offense, the Notre Dame Box, and Gilmer played left halfback from 1944-47. During that time, Gilmer passed for 26 touchdowns and ran for 24. He passed for 2894 yards and rushed for 1673. His punting average was 36.4 yards. He averaged 28.7 yards on kickoff returns, 13.5 on punt returns. Not shabby in any era, but especially impressive for back then. Gilmer was the first overall pick in the 1948 NFL draft by the Washington Redskins.He was later traded to the Detroit Lions. He later was head coach of the Lions.
Q. Who was the last QB from Alabama to start and win an NFL game?
Hint: He played for Paul "Bear" Bryant... really.
A. Jeff Rutledge as a Washington Redskin. On Nov. 15, 1987, a 20-17 win on the road over Philadelphia.
Walter Lewis had a pretty good USFL career with the Memphis Showboats and played some with Montreal in the CFL.
McElroy finished a game as a winning QB with the Jets, but didn't start that game. He was filling in for Sanchez. He was the last Alabama QB to start an NFL game, but it was a 27-17 loss to San Diego on Dec. 23, 2012.
Barker won some XFL games and may have won a few with Toronto of the CFL.
Croyle was a third-round pick of the KC Chiefs. In all games started, he was 0-10 in the NFL.
Rutledge was a ninth-round pick of the LA Rams. In all games started, he was 2-7-1 in the NFL.
Since 1987, the year Rutledge won the NFL game, the following guys have started at least one NCAA game for Alabama:
Vince Sutton (1987-1988)
Jeff Dunn (1987-1989)
David Smith (1987-1988)
Gary Hollingsworth (1990)
Danny Woodson (1991)
Jay Barker (1991-1994)
Brian Burgdorff (1993, 1995)
Freddie Kitchens (1995-1997)
John David Phillips (1998)
Andrew Zow (1998-2001)
Tyler Watts (1999-2002)
Brodie Croyle (2002-2005)
Brandon Avalos (2003)
Spencer Pennington (2003-2004)
Marc Guillon (2004)
John Parker Wilson (2006-2008)
Greg McElroy (2009-2010)
AJ McCarron (2011-2013)
Blake Sims (2014)
We'll always have the names of Harry Gilmer, Bart Starr, Joe Namath, Kenny Stabler and Richard Todd to praise, but when you consider the success Alabama has had in the college game since Jeff Rutledge, it just goes to show that you don't have to have an exceptionally talented QB to win a national title in the college game... but it sure doesn't hurt, either.
Maybe A.J. McCarron will break the NFL streak. Maybe Blake Sims will continue to exceed expectations and make magic happen... and maybe, just maybe, the guy to do it is on our roster now.
Of course, a great NFL career isn't what it takes to be a great Alabama QB. Pat Trammell is widely accepted as a great Alabama QB. And Bart Starr did not have a very remarkable career until he got to the NFL.
Still, it has been a long time since we've had a guy who was great in college and went on to legendary status in the NFL.
