| FTBL Bama's Mount Rushmore

[bama alum]

Interesting choice here. I know he won Bama's first Heisman, but I have a hard time putting Ingram (love the guy, don't get me wrong) above so many other great ones.

http://bamahammer.com/2014/02/19/wh...tm_medium=Network&utm_campaign=Trending on FS

The Alabama Crimson Tide has a long and storied history, with a host of legendary players having taken the field through the decades. But who are the true legends; the names that belong above all the others?
Miami Heat star LeBron James stirred the media pot last week when he said that the Mount Rushmore of pro basketball would be Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and Oscar Robertson. He added that he hoped he would make it by the end of his career, and that perhaps a second non-existent NBA monument be built, with Kobe Bryant and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on it. (Not sure where Wilt Chamberlain gets to hang out.)
That said, it makes you wonder what a Crimson Tide Mount Rushmore would look like. Fortunately, I have the answer. Behold, the Mount Rushmore of Alabama football:
[h=2]Bear Bryant[/h]Duh. No brainer. No need to explain.
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[h=2]Mark Ingram[/h]Is he the greatest running back we’ve had? Maybe, maybe not. But he does hold the lone Heisman. And that sets him apart from every other player who has donned a crimson jersey.
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[h=2]Joe Namath[/h]While I wanted to put AJ McCarron and his amazing career and treasure trove of passing records here, Broadway Joe is, well, Broadway Joe. He even rocked the fur coat to flip the coin at the Super Bowl (even if he almost botched it). He’s just got the It Factor. He’s the Teddy Roosevelt of our monument.
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[h=2]Derrick Thomas[/h]He’s one of the greatest football players the game has ever known. The NFL gets that he belongs in the Hall of Fame, something that the College Football Hall of Fame has somehow missed on. But the late DT is simply one of the game’s all time greats.
<iframe width="595" height="446" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/CGurzBk7QL8" frameborder="0"></iframe>
So who did we leave out? Ozzie Newsome. Cornelious Bennett. AJ McCarron. John Hannah. Frank Thomas. Harry Gilmer. David Palmer. Johnny Mack Brown. Marty Lyons. Gene Stallings. John Parker Wilson. Johnny Musso. Lee Roy Jordan. Van Tiffin. The list can go on and on.
It’s why we don’t retire jersey numbers at Alabama. We are the Crimson Tide, and our legends are aplenty.
Who is on your Crimson Mount Rushmore?

 

[bamaraider]

Coach Bear Bryant and Coach Saban would be number 1 and 2. I'd have to go with John Hannah at #3 and then my next one would either go to Derrick Thomas, Leroy Jordan, or Ozzie.

Very hard list to put together. Its a good problem at 'Bama.

 

[PhillyGirl]

Are we just doing players, or both players and coaches? Tough choices either way.

 

[bama alum]

Are we just doing players, or both players and coaches? Tough choices either way.

Whomever you want. I think John Hannah and AJ should get as much consideration as Ingram.

 

[PhillyGirl]

Whomever you want. I think John Hannah and AJ should get as much consideration as Ingram.

Me personally, just players, I'd go: AJ, Newsome, D. Thomas, and Hannah.

Shaun Alexander, Barrett Jones, Namath, Jordan, and Bennett are up there for me too .. tough call.

Coaches AND players: Bear, Saban, D. Thomas, Newsome.

 

[JoshB]

That would almost be impossible for me, I would want to do a Mt. Rushmore for each era or something haha

 

[BamaFan334]

What's the deal with the Mount Rushmore questions as of late? It all started with Lebron James and his response. Anyways, I'll play...

Give me Coach Bryant, Coach Saban, AJ McCarron, and Barrett Jones. I know two of my guys are recent, but I don't think there can be any argument for how well rounded these guys are. I have only been a fan since I started school here a few years ago, but I feel as if that's a dang good mountain for our school.

Coach Bryant - the best coach in college football history, enough said.

Coach Saban - the second best coach in college football history, pinning to be the best. Continues to win everywhere he goes despite the changing culture of college football. The guy just wins.

AJ McCarron - won more championships at Alabama than any other quarterback ever. Has the character of a humanitarian, well respected, won a ton of awards, best winning percentage in Alabama history, and the list goes on. Just a well respected great guy and athlete.

Barrett Jones - this guy did more with his college career than anyone in the history of college football in my eyes. He played every position on the line, won three national championships, earned MULTIPLE awards at every position he played, and he also achieved a Bachelor and Master's degree in Accounting with a 4.0! I was an accounting major myself at Alabama, and that is a major pheat. Asked my tax teacher about him and she simply said "he is a machine. None of us thought he was human with how intelligent he was." After the tornado he went around town with a chainsaw helping cut trees off the houses of his neighbors. Just an all around good guy you want Alabama to be known for.

 

[ROLL_TiZiDe]

Bear

Saban

Joe

Ozzie

D. Thomas

 

[rick4bama]

That would almost be impossible for me, I would want to do a Mt. Rushmore for each era or something haha

Me too. How can someone that has seen so many great Bama players just pick 5 for this. I think about all the guys that could have transferred to another school when the ncaa put that hammer so to speak down on the school football program. No one left.

 

[c5vetman]

Very hard. No doubt for me it's DT, Bear, Saban, but I don't know about #4 that's the hardest one. Maybe Shaun Alexander or Bobby Humprhey, AJ, Cornelius Bennett. I don't know, but DT is the only player that is a definite for me, there's too many other great ones to narrow down the list to just one more.

 

[PhillyGirl]

What's the deal with the Mount Rushmore questions as of late? It all started with Lebron James and his response. Anyways, I'll play...

Give me Coach Bryant, Coach Saban, AJ McCarron, and Barrett Jones. I know two of my guys are recent, but I don't think there can be any argument for how well rounded these guys are. I have only been a fan since I started school here a few years ago, but I feel as if that's a dang good mountain for our school.

Coach Bryant - the best coach in college football history, enough said.

Coach Saban - the second best coach in college football history, pinning to be the best. Continues to win everywhere he goes despite the changing culture of college football. The guy just wins.

AJ McCarron - won more championships at Alabama than any other quarterback ever. Has the character of a humanitarian, well respected, won a ton of awards, best winning percentage in Alabama history, and the list goes on. Just a well respected great guy and athlete.

Barrett Jones - this guy did more with his college career than anyone in the history of college football in my eyes. He played every position on the line, won three national championships, earned MULTIPLE awards at every position he played, and he also achieved a Bachelor and Master's degree in Accounting with a 4.0! I was an accounting major myself at Alabama, and that is a major pheat. Asked my tax teacher about him and she simply said "he is a machine. None of us thought he was human with how intelligent he was." After the tornado he went around town with a chainsaw helping cut trees off the houses of his neighbors. Just an all around good guy you want Alabama to be known for.

100% with ya on Barrett. Extremely underrated college player, and IMO, one of the best of all time. His presence and chemistry with the line is missed.

 

[ElephantStomp]

Bear
Saban
Thomas
Ozzie
Broadway

As for AJ and Ingram I would put Julio ahead of either one of them

 

[JoshB]

^^ As would I, Julio was pretty much a damn folk hero around here before he even stepped foot on campus. He set a tone for what a receiver is supposed to be here too. Nothing but class from him too.

 

[BamaFan334]

Julio?!? Yes, he was a folk hero before even getting on campus and voted to student council as a Freshman, BUT, he is not even close to what McCarron put in at Alabama. AJ Green competed right alongside Julio Jones throughout college, but no one can say what AJ McCarron can say about winning percentage and championships. I like Julio, but he did not live up to his billing in my eyes (was good, but plenty of others have accomplished what he accomplished), whereas others went above and beyond their ceilings.

 

[FlaBama]

Mt. Rushmore has four, so to single out four that define Alabama football and all its tradition is hard but my four would be:

Bear Bryant
Nick Saban
Joe Namath
Leroy Jordan

 

[BamaHubMan]

Wallace Wade
Frank Thomas
Paul Bryant
Nick Saban

All coaches.


You have to win more than one NC to be on my list. Runner up Mal Moore.

 

[JoshB]

Julio?!? Yes, he was a folk hero before even getting on campus and voted to student council as a Freshman, BUT, he is not even close to what McCarron put in at Alabama. AJ Green competed right alongside Julio Jones throughout college, but no one can say what AJ McCarron can say about winning percentage and championships. I like Julio, but he did not live up to his billing in my eyes (was good, but plenty of others have accomplished what he accomplished), whereas others went above and beyond their ceilings.

Okay, I can give you the AJ stuff and that is a good argument but to suggest that Julio didnt live up to his billing is one of the most ridiculous things I've ever heard. Thats got to be a joke, "plenty of others" accomplished what he did, really?! Yeah okay...

Set aside all the numerous receiving records he set... set that aside and acknowledge all he did outside of catching passes... being the ULTIMATE team player, never complaining (name another top tier receiver that you can think of that would not just be okay with being relegated to an extra blocker pretty much for much of the time but EMBRACE it) and set the tone for whats expected at that position for years to come. Julio was more than a receiving record.

 

[Bamabww]

Coach Bryant, Coach Saban, Coach Stallings, and Coach Moore for a coach Mt. Rushmore.

Joe Namath, Leroy Jordan, Kenny Stabler and Jerry Duncan for a player Mt. Rushmore.

But man, you couldn't hardly go wrong with any of our players.

 

[ElephantStomp]

Julio?!? Yes, he was a folk hero before even getting on campus and voted to student council as a Freshman, BUT, he is not even close to what McCarron put in at Alabama. AJ Green competed right alongside Julio Jones throughout college, but no one can say what AJ McCarron can say about winning percentage and championships. I like Julio, but he did not live up to his billing in my eyes (was good, but plenty of others have accomplished what he accomplished), whereas others went above and beyond their ceilings.

I like AJ and there's an argument there, but to say Julio didn't live up to his billing is one of the most assnine things I've ever heard. The dude is the best receiver to ever play at Alabama, but set aside the receiving records if you want and you still got one of the best blocking WRs in the country during his time and he loved it! Please name one person that accomplished what he did. AJ Green was a damn good WR, but he didn't block at all worth a damn. Plenty of others went above and beyond their ceilings? None of them had the expectations that Julio did, so they don't compare if they went above and beyond their ceilings then they didn't start that way whereas Julio came to school with the ceiling those other dudes finished with.

 

[mrchase]

I'll tell you that I'd take Julio any day over AJ Green