The Georgia Bulldogs are the 2023 CFP National Champions so 2aDays is marking their historic win by highlighting the best quarterbacks in the SEC. At #5 is former Alabama QB, Joe Namath.
The Southeastern Conference has become well known for producing some of the best professional football players in NFL history. SEC schools have produced a wide variety of athletes in many different positions to be the best in the pros; ranging from all-time legends such as Emmitt Smith and Reggie White to current superstars with pro potential like Stetson Bennett and Bryce Young.
Though the success of the SEC does appear to be a current trend, it's worth noting there have been multiple standout quarterbacks from SEC schools in the NFL within the last decade or thereabouts–Peyton and Eli Manning, Jay Cutler, Cam Newton, Matt Stafford, and more were all drafted out of SEC schools. However, with the conference being so central to NCAA college football and dominating the NFL Draft, it's a bit surprising that more SEC QBs haven't become household names from their NFL careers. Not only have there been not enough successful SEC QBs, but too many high draft picks turned out to be some of the biggest busts. First-round picks like Tim Couch, Rex Grossman, Jamarcus Russell, and Johnny Manziel all had high expectations but never lived up anywhere close to them.
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So with that out of the way, we wanted to turn your attention to 2aDays's Top 5 that looks at the positive stories coming out of the SEC, rather than just the first-round NFL Draft busts. Without further introduction, here are the top 5 quarterbacks in SEC college football history:
#5 – Joe Namath, Alabama Crimson Tide (1962-1964)
Starting off the Top 5 list is “Broadway Joe” Namath; NFL Hall of Famer, Super Bowl Champion as starting QB for the New York Jets, and former starting quarterback for the Alabama Crimson Tide under legendary head coach Paul “Bear” Bryant. Namath was on the Crimson Tide roster for his three years at Alabama (1962-1964) and quickly earned the starting QB role for all three years with the team. Over those three seasons, Namath led Bryant's Crimson Tide to a stellar 29-4 record. Most impressively, in his final 1964 season, Namath led the University of Alabama football program to a national championship. While he never got too much momentum towards a high finish in Heisman Trophy voting, for his 1964 national championship season, Namath wound up finishing 11th in Heisman voting, which was the highest he'd finish during his college football tenure.
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High Praise
While his stats are impressive, the school he played for and the time at which he played there can't be understated. Namath played for Paul “Bear” Bryant and most college football fans seem to agree it's very tough to argue for anyone above him as the best college football coach of all-time. Bryant led his teams to 14 SEC Conference Titles, 6 National Titles, which propelled him to a 12-time SEC Coach of the Year, and finally a 3-time National Coach of the Year. Bryant's incredible college coaching legacy earned him the honor of the NCAA changing the National Coach of the Year award to the Paul “Bear” Bryant Award, in his honor. Shortly following his death, Bryant was quickly elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1986.
For those who have studied a lot of college football, or read about Bryant's college coaching years, you'd know he wasn't someone who did much talking and he wasn't someone who typically gave out many compliments. With that being said, when Bryant was asked before Namath's arrival at Alabama about his feelings regarding his recruitment, “Bear” Bryant stated, “[my] decision to recruit Namath was the best coaching decision I ever made.” Additionally, after Namath's three seasons with the Crimson Tide when he was a member of the NFL's New York Jets, Bryant said of Broadway Joe, “[Namath was] the greatest athlete I ever coached.” Coming from Paul Bryant, those statements are both truly extremely impressive and mean more to Namath's legacy at Alabama than many people may realize.
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The Namath Guarantee
With that, Namath's #5 spot on this list is more or less self-explanatory. During his SEC college years he had a dominant 29-4 record as the Crimson Tide starter, he won a national championship in his final season, he was one of very few players who genuinely impressed legendary Tide head coach Paul “Bear” Bryant, he was a Heisman Trophy candidate, and his name is still generally very well known in college football circles. Furthermore, Namath's college football years were just his start, as he gained more notoriety increasingly during his time as Starting QB for the NFL's New York Jets. Not only did Namath lead them to a victory in Super Bowl III (their only Super Bowl victory in team history), but he also did so in an unforgettably epic fashion. Despite many touting their Super Bowl III opponents, the Baltimore Colts, as “the greatest football team in history” and a really large favorite to beat the Jets in a blowout, Namath was still confident in his ability and his team's ability to win the game. Three days before he was set to face the Colts in Super Bowl III, Namath unforgettably asserted, “We're going to win the game. I guarantee it.”
When he and the Jets delivered on that promise beating the Colts in a final score of 16-7, Broadway Joe's name was sure to be forever remembered as synonymous with anything pertaining to Super Bowl III. His name became forever enshrined amongst the NFL's most significant when he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985. Namath's standout accomplishments and numerous impressive accolades during his seasons at Alabama, his legacy as the New York Jets starting QB, and his general name recognition combine to put him at #5 on this list.
Who will snag the #4 spot? Find out next week right here at 2aDays.com.
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Image Credit: Wikipedia
* Originally published on January 18, 2023, by 2aDays Staff
