Alabama considered Courtney Morgan, Jaylen Mbakwe, and Ryan Williams as big Alabama players
Ranking Crimson Tide legends was given a unique spin by general manager Courtney Morgan and Alabama football’s freshmen sensations.
Although Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th President of the United States, is credited with saying that “comparison is the thief of joy,” evaluating and comparing athletes and teams on a current and historical scale is essentially commonplace in the world of sports today.
Since the famous Nick Saban of the Crimson Tide announced his retirement on January 10, Alabama football has become a hot topic in the rankings community. For the past few months, Alabama supporters have been reciting lists of Saban’s greatest games, players, and moments.
Mbakwe posed the query to Morgan on the pair of freshmen’s second-ever “New Wave Podcast” broadcast. Morgan clarified that he wasn’t limited to Saban-only (2007–2023) players and that he was going to “show [his] age with this.” He also gave an explanation for some, but not all, of the player placements.
Quarterback Joe Namath, ranked No. 5 on Courtney Morgan’s list of the greatest Alabama players, was a baller, but he was also ahead of his time off the field. I have a photo of Joe Namath on the sidelines wearing a mink coat. Broadway Joe was a brand before brands were even a thing.”
Derrick Thomas, a linebacker: “My favorite.” His photo is in my workspace. He was not just one of my favorite Alabama players of all time.
but also NFL players. During high school, I wore his number.”
Antonio Langham, a defensive back
Marcell Dareus, a defensive lineman: “A dog. I saw him take down some heads on his own, particularly in that Texas game when he stopped the quarterback.”
Julio Jones, a wide receiver
With his play in his first two college games, Williams, a 17-year-old wide receiver, has not only swept Alabama but the entire country off their feet. Williams kept to his own list of Alabama greats, even with a rather shocking final decision, rather than ranking them all regardless of position. Like Morgan, Williams explained why he made certain places.
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