Who has been our most talented Tider ?

bamacpa

All-American
Jul 19, 2006
4,783
1,073
182
I'm not looking for the best player, but the one with the most physical gifts. Biscuit comes to mind immediately as a very rare package. David Palmer possessed unequaled escapability, Trent was gifted, Henry looks like his big brother, and Snake and Joe Willie could play multiple sports. But I'm voting for Keith McCants. Someone that big just shouldn't be as fast as he was. I saw a replay of the 30 for 30 on Miami, and a clip from the 1989 Sugar Bowl shows him running down Randal Hill from behind. Of course, we all remember the Wasden rundown. Keith was a startling athlete.
 

capnfrog

All-American
Aug 17, 2002
3,556
0
155
Pell city, Al. U.S.A.
Hard for me not to pick Mark Ingram and he has the paper work that says he was the best player in the nation that year. No other player for Bama, past or present can make that claim.
 

Mke4Bama

All-SEC
Nov 21, 2006
1,830
2,238
187
67
Cullman (Good Hope)
I'm not looking for the best player, but the one with the most physical gifts. Biscuit comes to mind immediately as a very rare package. David Palmer possessed unequaled escapability, Trent was gifted, Henry looks like his big brother, and Snake and Joe Willie could play multiple sports. But I'm voting for Keith McCants. Someone that big just shouldn't be as fast as he was. I saw a replay of the 30 for 30 on Miami, and a clip from the 1989 Sugar Bowl shows him running down Randal Hill from behind. Of course, we all remember the Wasden rundown. Keith was a startling athlete.
Lets see, there's Namath, Stabler, Julio Jones, Joe Sewell, the list can go on and on, but McCants, not on the first or second page.
 

81usaf92

TideFans Legend
Apr 26, 2008
35,295
31,347
187
South Alabama
I'm going to say a very underrated players named Lane Bearden. I know everyone wants to look at the skill players and the big uglies, but it's hard to deny a punter who tears his ACL,still goes out to punt, and quickly turns around a makes a tackle. I guess it may be his sheer toughness that makes the pick for me.
 

ccc2259

All-American
Oct 29, 2010
2,571
70
72
Lower Alabama
This is a much too difficult question for me.....Derrick Thomas, Cornelius Bennet (3-time All American), Rolando McClain, Woodrow Lowe (another 3-time All American), Dwight Stephenson (whom CPB called the best player he had ever coached), John Hannah (who Sports Illustrated called the best OL of all time), George Teague (who displayed as much heart in a player; both in college and the pro's, as anyone), Ozzie Newsome (Alabama's Player of the Decade for the 1970's)...........I only scratched the surface. It's an interesting question, but I don't see how it can be answered. What makes it even more interesting to me is, given CNS's recruiting successes, we're potentially just now witnessing the player that might be the correct answer to this question.
 

4Q Basket Case

FB|BB Moderator
Staff member
Nov 8, 2004
9,554
12,823
237
Tuscaloosa
The question is most talented, not necessarily the best performer.

While he's not my choice, I think you can make a good case for McCants. True, he squandered the talent. But again, that's not the question.

I'd go with Ozzie Newsome. Not a lot of people remember, he started out as a WR. But he grew into a TE, who still had close to WR speed and hands. He created incredible matchup problems for opposing defenses.

Julio Jones is in there, as is Prothro. But gotta go with Ozzie because of versatility.

For linemen, Andre Smith. Didn't fulfill his talent, and had an ignominious end, but the question is talent, and he had more than any lineman we've ever had. Hannah was undoubtedly the best performer, but he didn't have Smith's God-given ability. He just made the most of the talent he did have. Which was up there, but not equal to Smith's.
 

JDCrimson

Hall of Fame
Feb 12, 2006
5,312
4,358
187
51
Julio Jones or Derrick Thomas based on how many different positions on the field the could line and play and do so at a high level. Julio could play WR, CB, S, bulk up and play LB or H-back. DR could play LB, DE, TE, FB, slim down and possibly play RB and S too.
 

CrimsonSnake

3rd Team
Aug 21, 2002
227
0
0
53
Huntsville, ALABAMA, USA
For linemen, Andre Smith. Didn't fulfill his talent, and had an ignominious end, but the question is talent, and he had more than any lineman we've ever had. Hannah was undoubtedly the best performer, but he didn't have Smith's God-given ability. He just made the most of the talent he did have. Which was up there, but not equal to Smith's.
I would have to say that Chris Samuels was more talented than Smith ever had potential to be.


Sent from my KFTT using Tapatalk 2
 

bamaga

Hall of Fame
Apr 29, 2002
13,369
8,228
282
JAWJA
Ever? Most talented is hard, very subjective. I still will go with John Hannah, once called greatest ever.
 

Whirleybird

Scout Team
Oct 23, 2004
121
3
37
122 years of football and you pick McCants?
I remember watching an Iron Bowl when Lionel James burst through the line at full speed. Keith McCants was knocked flat on his back but jumped up, chased down James and tackled him. Ungodly athletic ability.
 

Al A Bama

Hall of Fame
Jun 24, 2011
6,658
934
132
We lost out on the person who could have been the BEST All-Time Tider: Bo Jackson. I'll blame that on Pat Dye for taking advantage of someone's age! Bo used to KNOW everything, including football. I can still see him walking sideways on that outfield wall parallel to the planet Earth.

Please Football Season come quickly! These threads are messing up my mind.
 

bamaga

Hall of Fame
Apr 29, 2002
13,369
8,228
282
JAWJA
We lost out on the person who could have been the BEST All-Time Tider: Bo Jackson. I'll blame that on Pat Dye for taking advantage of someone's age! Bo used to KNOW everything, including football. I can still see him walking sideways on that outfield wall parallel to the planet Earth.

Please Football Season come quickly! These threads are messing up my mind.
I think I heared him deny this recently, but supposedly Bo grew up a Bama fan
 

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