Question: Who would be your picks for the three greatest Alabama linebackers ever?

[alabama mike1]

In no order:
Lowe
Jordan
Thomas

 

[tideindc]

Surprised no one mentioned D Hightower

 

[TideRollsInPa]

Derrick Thomas
Cornelius Bennettt
Rolando McClain...
in that order

 

[22Musso22]

 

[CrimsonRuss]

Derrick Thomas
Cornelius Bennett
CJ Moseley
Reuben Foster

 

[saturdaysarebet]

We should know his name is Lee Roy and not Leroy.

Thank you for catching that.

 

[CajunCrimson]

Thomas
Bennett
McLain

Personal favorite: Ryan Anderson

 

[gtgilbert]

I have to disagree with that assessment based upon the changing nature of the game over the last 40 years if for no other reason than the simple fact that teams threw the ball only about 1/2 as much as they do today.

As a result, DT was more often playing a run-stopping role than a pass-rushing role.

Were he to have played in today's game he likely would have been similar to Will, but not under the conditions that existed 40 years ago.

It was a totally different game back then.

For perspective, in DT senior year Bama threw 290 passes.

In Will's senior year Bama threw 438 passes.

I don't have the time or desire to break down how many passes our opponents threw against us in those two seasons, but I'm guessing that our passing stats are relatively similar to those of our opponents during that time.

Although there are more games played now than then.

when looking across long time periods, that's true of any position. Doesn't mean it's not the same position, just that some of the way it's played is different, and the requirements to be successful at that spot can be different. Even just within the Saban years, a guy like McClain might have had a very different role had he been playing in the last 5 years of Sabans tenure versus the first few.

 

[NoNC4Tubs]

Not to hijack he thread, but the greatest LB of all time and across all levels...Dick Butkus, and in my my mind it ain't even close.

NFL QBs and RBs truly feared him!

Now back to our regular programming...

 

[TiderJack]

Leroy Jordan
Derrick Thomas
Cornelius Bennett

This is mine also. There have been so many great LB's under Saban I hate leaving them off and probably wrong to do so.

I know some of you have never seen Derrick Thomas play but he was not only the greatest LB we have ever had but greatest player we have ever had IMO.

 

[Cruloc]

I'm just gonna go with my favorites from the Saban era. I mean, there's always Bennett and Thomas and Lee Roy Jordan....those guys are the legends, the guys that awards should be named after.

So, with that....

My 3 favorite Saban era LB's were:
Hightower
Ryan Anderson
Reggie Ragland

 

[99ALUM]

DT, DT and DT. Not that all these other guys mentioned weren’t great, but DT could take over a game all by himself.

 

[DzynKingRTR]

DT, DT and DT. Not that all these other guys mentioned weren’t great, but DT could take over a game all by himself.

Agree with this. DT is the reason I am a Chiefs fan to this day.

 

[RollTide_HTTR]

Should do 2 lists. One for off ball LB types and one for Edge

 

[99ALUM]

Agree with this. DT is the reason I am a Chiefs fan to this day.

Well, oddly enough, me too. DT was my favorite Bama player all time. I too am a huge Chiefs fan. I was glad they won SB58 for ole number 58.

 

[DzynKingRTR]

Well, oddly enough, me too. DT was my favorite Bama player all time. I too am a huge Chiefs fan. I was glad they won SB58 for ole number 58.

Dang, I did not even make that connection.

 

[tusks_n_raider]

I'm just gonna go with my favorites from the Saban era. I mean, there's always Bennett and Thomas and Lee Roy Jordan....those guys are the legends, the guys that awards should be named after.

So, with that....

My 3 favorite Saban era LB's were:
Hightower
Ryan Anderson
Reggie Ragland

If we were doing just favorites I can definitely say that Reuben Foster would be on my list.

He put good old fashioned bone rattling HITS on dudes.

I mean.. Lol.... he ended this dude's whole Heisman campaign..

 

[jthomas666]

That said (and with the caveat about Will) I'd say Derrick Thomas, Biscuit and Mosley.

If we're going with 4 LB then I'd throw in Lee Roy Jordan as well.

That's how I'd go a swell. Mosley didn't have the HOLY MOTHER OF GOD plays that Thomas and Bennett had, but from his first game as a freshman, he had an uncanny knack to be where he was supposed to be.

Aside: As an undergrad, I saw Thomas and Bennett playing one-on-one at the rec center. Their combination of power and grace was flat-out unnerving.

 

[Tidelines]

DT, DT and DT. Not that all these other guys mentioned weren’t great, but DT could take over a game all by himself.

Lee Roy had 30 tackles against Oklahoma in a bowl game. I would call that taking over a ball game.

 

[Redfish Hunter]

Back in the day (1985 maybe) there was an article in the b'ham news about Cornelius Bennett and Derrick Thomas having a foot race against Bobby Humphrey and I think Murry Hill. From what i can remember they asked Bennett who won and he said him and DT and it wasn't even close.