1983 U of A signing class .

[LCN]

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Here's a blast from the past .

Last year at about this time , I posted up the '93 class - http://tidefans.com/forums/showthrea...ght=class+1993 - and promised that over time I'd pull out 1 class from each staff including Coach Bryant if possible . I had 1999 ready but , I can't recall if I ever posted it or not . Don't think that I did because it doesn't come up when searched for .

Anyway , 2002 was to be next but , I've decided to go back a bit with our 1st class under Perkins . The '83 class had some studs but as a whole , it sucked and sucked badly . While looking things over , I could not help but to be reminded of Coach Shula . Not just because he was a member of the 83 class but , partly because the # of lineman signed was so low and all 4 OL's were busts . Also , 83 was full of RB's & DB's where as with Shula it was more like WR's & DB's . However , there were several LB's and those guys worked out pretty well .

There were 28 players who signed and 10 of them never finished up at Bama . 15 signees were considered to be studs and only a few of them turned out to be as advertised .

Here's a look back .....
* = a player who could've chosen almost any school .

QB - Mike Shula (fla) * ________________ Solid - turned it over a ton
QB - Tim Hect (Va) * _________________ BUST - left
QB - Angelo Stafford _________________ contributor @ TE
RB - Kerry Goode * ___________________ STUD - then to FB after the crushed knee
RB - Carlos Robinson * ________________ contributor @ FB
RB - Jerry Jones (ga) _________________ BUST - left
FB - Andrew Gilder * __________________ BUST - left
FB - John Wright _____________________ contributor as FB "Bo" Wright
WR - Greg Richardson * _______________ STUD - when return duties are included
WR - Larry Abney (la) _________________ contributor
TE - Thornton Chandler (DII transfer) * ___ solid
G/C - Jeff Bentley * ___________________ BUST - scout teamer
OT - Bill Jordan * _____________________ BUST - left
OT - Randy Moore _____________________ BUST - may've never even Q'd
OT - Allan Brown ______________________ BUST - left

NT - Curt Jarvis * ____________________ STUD dated my sister
ILB - Wayne Davis * __________________ STUD
ILB - Steve Hartley ___________________ BUST - left
OLB - Cornelius Bennett * ______________ STUD
OLB - Craig Epps (fla) _________________ contributor
OLB - Phillip Brown ____________________ solid
OLB - Randy Rockwell _________________ solid the "sleeper" of the class
Safety - Marvin Humphries * ____________ BUST - moved to OLB & left
Safety - Lydell Mitchell * ______________ contributor @ OLB
Safety - Ricky Thomas (fla) ____________ solid
FS/CB - Britton Cooper ________________ contributor
CB - Louis Dean * _____________________ BUST - left
CB - Dante Knox ______________________ BUST - left

STUD - 5
solid - 5
contributor - 7
BUST - 11

[dayhiker]

I remember reading one time that Wright, I think it was, was the fastest guy on the team. We had 2 undersized FB's that were both fast. The other guys name escapes me. This would have been 85/86 ish.

[LCN]

Doug Allen ? He was very small for a FB .

[drjamesm]

	Quote:	LCN
	Here's a blast from the past . Last year at about this time , I posted up the '93 class - http://tidefans.com/forums/showthrea...ght=class+1993 - and promised that over time I'd pull out 1 class from each staff including Coach Bryant if possible . I had 1999 ready but , I can't recall if I ever posted it or not . Don't think that I did because it doesn't come up when searched for . Anyway , 2002 was to be next but , I've decided to go back a bit with our 1st class under Perkins . The '83 class had some studs but as a whole , it sucked and sucked badly . While looking things over , I could not help but to be reminded of Coach Shula . Not just because he was a member of the 83 class but , partly because the # of lineman signed was so low and all 4 OL's were busts . Also , 83 was full of RB's & DB's where as with Shula it was more like WR's & DB's . However , there were several LB's and those guys worked out pretty well . There were 28 players who signed and 10 of them never finished up at Bama . 15 signees were considered to be studs and only a few of them turned out to be as advertised . Here's a look back ..... * = a player who could've chosen almost any school . QB - Mike Shula (fla) * ________________ Solid - turned it over a ton QB - Tim Hect (Va) * _________________ BUST - left QB - Angelo Stafford _________________ contributor @ TE RB - Kerry Goode * ___________________ STUD - then to FB after the crushed knee RB - Carlos Robinson * ________________ contributor @ FB RB - Jerry Jones (ga) _________________ BUST - left FB - Andrew Gilder * __________________ BUST - left FB - John Wright _____________________ contributor as FB "Bo" Wright WR - Greg Richardson * _______________ STUD - when return duties are included WR - Larry Abney (la) _________________ contributor TE - Thornton Chandler (DII transfer) * ___ solid G/C - Jeff Bentley * ___________________ BUST - scout teamer OT - Bill Jordan * _____________________ BUST - left OT - Randy Moore _____________________ BUST - left OT - Allan Brown ______________________ BUST - may've never even Q'd NT - Curt Jarvis * ____________________ STUD dated my sister ILB - Wayne Davis * __________________ STUD ILB - Steve Hartley ___________________ BUST - left OLB - Cornelius Bennett * ______________ STUD OLB - Craig Epps (fla) _________________ contributor OLB - Phillip Brown ____________________ solid OLB - Randy Rockwell _________________ solid the "sleeper" of the class Safety - Marvin Humphries * ____________ BUST - moved to OLB & left Safety - Lydell Mitchell * ______________ contributor @ OLB Safety - Ricky Thomas (fla) ____________ solid FS/CB - Britton Cooper ________________ contributor CB - Louis Dean * _____________________ BUST - left CB - Dante Knox ______________________ BUST - left STUD - 5 solid - 5 contributor - 7 BUST - 11

17 is not a bad number of players to work out out of 28 signed...I assume 3 never enrolled.I believe 12-15 solid players per class is the norm.

[derek4tide]

Wow, I haven't seen some of those names in many years. Randy Rockwell is a great guy off the field as well. I drank several beers with him one night at Lee's Tomb in 1985.

[PattheCatinSaudi]

You'd win a helluvalot of games with a team full of Randy Rockwells.

[dayhiker]

	Quote:	LCN
	Doug Allen ? He was very small for a FB .

That's him.

I would have been late middle/early high school then. Seems like a read an article in the Bham News talking about how fast those two were.

[LCN]

	Quote:	drjamesm
	17 is not a bad number of players to work out out of 28 signed...I assume 3 never enrolled.I believe 12-15 solid players per class is the norm.

Doc , I felt the number of departures was quite hgh . Also , we needed major help on the OL and this group really tarnished the class . Plus , I think I was being overly kind on most of those 7 contributers . You could easily argue against a minimum of 4 of them . Especially Mitchell . He was very highly thought of coming in . Pretty kind with Richardson as well . All in part of the fun of looking back .

[CrimsonChuck]

	Quote:	LCN
	Here's a blast from the past . Last year at about this time , I posted up the '93 class - http://tidefans.com/forums/showthrea...ght=class+1993 - and promised that over time I'd pull out 1 class from each staff including Coach Bryant if possible . I had 1999 ready but , I can't recall if I ever posted it or not . Don't think that I did because it doesn't come up when searched for . Anyway , 2002 was to be next but , I've decided to go back a bit with our 1st class under Perkins . The '83 class had some studs but as a whole , it sucked and sucked badly . While looking things over , I could not help but to be reminded of Coach Shula . Not just because he was a member of the 83 class but , partly because the # of lineman signed was so low and all 4 OL's were busts . Also , 83 was full of RB's & DB's where as with Shula it was more like WR's & DB's . However , there were several LB's and those guys worked out pretty well . There were 28 players who signed and 10 of them never finished up at Bama . 15 signees were considered to be studs and only a few of them turned out to be as advertised . Here's a look back ..... * = a player who could've chosen almost any school . QB - Mike Shula (fla) * ________________ Solid - turned it over a ton QB - Tim Hect (Va) * _________________ BUST - left QB - Angelo Stafford _________________ contributor @ TE RB - Kerry Goode * ___________________ STUD - then to FB after the crushed knee RB - Carlos Robinson * ________________ contributor @ FB RB - Jerry Jones (ga) _________________ BUST - left FB - Andrew Gilder * __________________ BUST - left FB - John Wright _____________________ contributor as FB "Bo" Wright WR - Greg Richardson * _______________ STUD - when return duties are included WR - Larry Abney (la) _________________ contributor TE - Thornton Chandler (DII transfer) * ___ solid G/C - Jeff Bentley * ___________________ BUST - scout teamer OT - Bill Jordan * _____________________ BUST - left OT - Randy Moore _____________________ BUST - left OT - Allan Brown ______________________ BUST - may've never even Q'd NT - Curt Jarvis * ____________________ STUD dated my sister ILB - Wayne Davis * __________________ STUD ILB - Steve Hartley ___________________ BUST - left OLB - Cornelius Bennett * ______________ STUD!!!! OLB - Craig Epps (fla) _________________ contributor OLB - Phillip Brown ____________________ solid OLB - Randy Rockwell _________________ solid the "sleeper" of the class Safety - Marvin Humphries * ____________ BUST - moved to OLB & left Safety - Lydell Mitchell * ______________ contributor @ OLB Safety - Ricky Thomas (fla) ____________ solid FS/CB - Britton Cooper ________________ contributor CB - Louis Dean * _____________________ BUST - left CB - Dante Knox ______________________ BUST - left STUD - 5 solid - 5 contributor - 7 BUST - 11

Fixed it for ya...

[Bama Torch in Pcola]

I thought Wes Neighbors was in that class, but I guess he was a redshirt freshman in '83.

The offense felt the pain in '84. I still say we would have been a different team with a healthy Goode, though. Paul Ott was a solid SEC RB, but Goode had otherworldly talent.

[BamaSkins]

whatever this class looked like on paper they were part of the Bama team that beat the barn in 84 & 85

1984 Bama 17 barn 15 'wrong way Bo game'

1985 Bama 25 barn 23 ' Tiffin's last second winning field goal'

So they are good guys to me...

[LCN]

	Quote:	Bama Torch in Pcola
	I thought Wes Neighbors was in that class, but I guess he was a redshirt freshman in '83. The offense felt the pain in '84. I still say we would have been a different team with a healthy Goode, though. Paul Ott was a solid SEC RB, but Goode had otherworldly talent.

No doubt . The 55% of the game he played against Boston College is probably the best individual performance I've ever seen . It was sad to see him return as a FB .


EDIT
Oops . I meant to touch on Wes . Yes , he was a RS from the '82 class .

[tidemaniac]

No disrespect the only 1 I'd call a stud is CB!