Namath has to be at the top of any list in my view. Hard to compare eras but I will go with Namath.
....love me some Joe Cool, now.
OP said "top" 5 QBs.
Does "top" mean "greatest"?
If so, I agree with you that Joe Namath was the "greatest" Alabama QB of all time for many reasons.
And by greatest, I take that to mean a combination of statistics, championships, talent, persona, and overall impact on the program.
Let's start with one of the most visually impactful symbols of Alabama - Bear's houndstooth hat.
Were it not for Namath's new boss and Jet's owner sending him the hat it wouldn't be part of Crimson Lore.
Namath was a very famous and high profile celebrity for anyone who remembers that period during the late 60's / early 70's.
The Noxema 'cream your face' commercials with Farah.... the mink coat..... the panty hose....the model for Snoopy's
"Joe Cool" alter ego... the playboy reputation "Broadway Joe" for hanging down at studio 54 in Manhattan.
And who can forget him calling his shot for the win as a huge underdog in Super Bowl III?
He's a PA man who not only stayed loyal to his Alabama alma mater but has gone way beyond that and used his
fame to serve as the de facto ambassador of the program since he left after the '64 season - 60 years ago!
Not to mention he went 29-4 as a 3 year starter and won a NC.
Bear Bryant once said that "recruiting Namath was the best coaching decision I ever made" and was also quoted as
saying that Namath was the greatest athlete he ever coached.
This from one of the two greatest coaches in the history of the college game (or Alabama) [smug smile].
I mean - show me somebody more deserving of the title "greatest Alabama QB"....
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