2. LEE ROY JORDAN, ALABAMA: Lee Roy makes it as a two-way player. One game described his college career and that was the Orange Bowl in 1963 when Alabama beat Oklahoma. Lee Roy played every snap, graded out 100 percent as Bama’s center on offense and made 30 unassisted tackles as the middle linebacker. Until the day he died, Bear Bryant raved about what Lee Roy Jordan did in that game and about what a special player he was on both sides of the ball. “He was one of the finest football players the world has ever seen,” Bryant said. Jordan was an All-American center and middle linebacker in college. In the pros, Jordan was a five-time All-Pro selection with the Dallas Cowboys. He intercepted 32 passes in his career, third best in NFL history for a linebacker. He is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame and is expected to be named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame sometime in the next couple of years.
3. CORNELIUS BENNETT, ALABAMA: The winner of the Lombardi Trophy in 1986, Bennett was a three-time first team All-American (1984-86). He finished seventh in the Heisman Trophy voting in 1986 and was selected the Most Valuable Player in the Southeastern Conference. In his Alabama career, Bennett recorded 287 tackles and had 21.5 sacks. Drafted in the first round by the Indianapolis Colts with the second pick in the 1987 draft, Bennett was a five time Pro Bowl selection and a three-time first team All-Pro. He was anmed to the NFL All-Decade team of the 1990s. Bennett was a first ballot selection to the College Football Hall of Fame.
4. DERRICK THOMAS, ALABAMA: The all-time sacks leader for the SEC (52), Thomas was the scariest pass rusher the league has ever seen. A unanimous first team All-American in 1988, Thomas won the Butkus Award and finished 10th in the Heisman Trophy balloting after a record-setting season with 27 sacks. Drafted as the fourth pick in the first round by the Kansas City Chiefs in 1989, Thomas made the Pro Bowl nine straight years and was a three-time first team All-Pro selection and second team All-Pro three times. He had 126.5 sacks in his NFL career. He died of complications from a traffic accident in 2000. Thomas is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame.
5. WOODROW LOWE, ALABAMA: Like Cornelius Bennett, Lowe was a three-time first team All-American (1973-75) and a three-time first team All-SEC pick. He started all four years at Alabama on teams that won four SEC championships (1972-75) and one national championship (1973). He had 315 tackles in his Alabama career, which ranks third all-time in school history and he still holds the single season standard with 135 tackles. Known for his outstanding speed and ability to pursue, Lowe was a hard hitter even though he was considered under-sized. Lowe spent 11 years in the National Football League, playing his entire career with the San Diego Chargers.
