Alabama has always been one of the best programs in college football, but its record of sending starting quarterbacks to the NFL has been much more spotty. Though it can claim such Hall of Fame legends as Bart Starr, Joe Namath and Kenny Stabler, it’s been decades since a Crimson Tide signal caller has been effective in the pro ranks.
Indeed, before A.J. McCarron won two games with the 2015 Bengals, it had been 28 years since an Alabama alumni (Jeff Rutledge, 1987) had won a game as a starting quarterback in the NFL.
With Tua Tagovailoa’s big day coming up, here’s a look at the 14 Alabama quarterbacks who have been drafted by the pro ranks and how they did.
A.J. McCarron — 2014
5th round, 164th pick, Bengals
McCarron won back-to-back national titles as a starter at Alabama and was also at the school for the 2009 title. Success in the NFL hasn’t come quite as easily, though. McCarron has only started four games over his six-year career. He played for the Texans in 2019 and recently re-signed with the team for the 2020 season to be Deshaun Watson’s backup.
Greg McElroy — 2011
7th round, 208th pick, Jets
Mc Elroy started a total of 27 games in Tuscaloosa and was the quarterback for in the 2010 national championship game win over Texas. His NFL career was a quick one. He started just one game for the 2012 Jets and retired in 2014 after spending the entire previous season on the Bengals’ practice squad. He has since gone into broadcasting and can be seen on ESPN and the SEC Network.
Brodie Croyle — 2006
3rd round, 85th pick, Chiefs
Though many of them have since been broken, Croyle set many Alabama passing records during his career in Tuscaloosa. His NFL career, however, was marked with injury and ineffectiveness. He started 10 games in his career, throwing eight touchdowns and nine interceptions before retiring in 2012.
Jay Barker — 1995
5th round, 160th pick, Packers
Barker became a Bama legend after leading the team to the 1992 national championship and going 35-2-1 as a starter in his career. Barker did not make the Packers after being drafted and ended up with the Toronto Argonauts after failing to catch on with the Patriots and Panthers. He later played for the Birmingham Thunderbolts of the XFL.
Mike Shula — 1987
12th round, 313th pick, Buccaneers
Shula was a starter for three seasons in Alabama, but didn’t see any playing time in 1987, his only season in the league. He then got into coaching, eventually landing back as Alabama’s head coach from 2003 to 2006, the last leader before Nick Saban took over.
Jeff Rutledge — 1979
9th round, 246th pick, Rams
Rutledge was a member of three SEC title teams and the starting quarterback on the 1978 national championship team. He played 14 seasons in the NFL, winning two Super Bowls as a backup (Super Boxl XXI – New York Giants, Super Bowl XXVI – Washington Redskins).
Richard Todd — 1976
1st round, 6th pick, Jets
You might hear Todd’s name a lot on draft day because Tua Tagovailoa should supplant him as the last Bama quarterback to be taken in the first round. Todd joined a Jets team that already had a Bama quarterback on its roster (Joe Namath, ever heard of him?) and he replaced Namath when the legend was released before Todd’s second season. Todd struggled in five years as a Jets starter before going to the Saints, where he ironically replaced another fading Hall of Famer from Alabama — Kenny Stabler.
Scott Hunter — 1971
6th round, 140th pick, Packers
The Packers might have thought they were getting the next Bart Starr when the drafted fellow alumnus Hunter out of Alabama. But it was hard for Hunter to live up to the legend. Though he helped lead the 1972 Packers to the franchise’s last divisional title until the Brett Favre era, Hunter was never a true difference maker. He later moved onto the Bills and Falcons and finished his eight-year career with 23 touchdown passes and 38 interceptions.
Ken Stabler — 1968
2nd round, 52nd pick, Raiders
The late, great Snake was on Bama’s freshman team during the 1964 national championship season and didn’t play much when the team won back-to-back titles the following season. Stabler finally got his chance as a junior in 1966 and led the Crimson Tide to an 11-0 record. Unfortunately, Notre Dame and Michigan State finished ahead of Alabama in the polls that season. Stabler would go on to have a Hall of Fame career, winning Super Bowl XI with the Raiders, winning the NFL MVP in 1974 and making the Pro Bowl four times.
Steve Sloan — 1966
11th round, 156th pick, Falcons
Sloan was backup QB to Namath during the 1964 season but also served as a defensive back. He took the reins from Namath for the final two games of the season after Bear Bryant benched Namath for disciplinary reasons and led the team to a 10-1 record in 1964 when Namath was hurt. Sloan had an extremely short NFL career, never throwing a touchdown in eight games with the Falcons. He would later go serve as head coach at Vanderbilt, Texas Tech, Ole Miss and Duke before returning to Tuscaloosa as Bama’s AD from 1987-89.
Joe Namath — 1965
1st round, 1st pick, Jets
Namath was actually selected first overall in the AFL draft by the Jets and 12th overall in the NFL draft by the Cardinals. He’d go onto become Broadway Joe, star of the biggest upset in Super Bowl history and a future Hall of Famer.
Pat Trammell — 1962
24th round, 187th pick, Dallas Texans
Trammell’s story is a tragic one. After serving as the quarterback for Bear Bryant’s first national championship team in 1961, he was drafted by the Dallas Texans in the late rounds of the AFL draft. Trammell, though, had his eyes on becoming a third generation doctor and graduated from the University of Alabama School of Medicine in 1966. Sadly, he died from testicular cancer just two years later at age 28. The annual Pat Trammell Award has been given out every year since 1988 to the players who “demonstrates the qualities of integrity, character, importance of academics and inspirational leadership.
Bart Starr — 1956
17th round, 200th pick, Packers
Tom Brady at pick 199 may never be beaten, but don’t overlook the Packers taking Starr at 200. in 1956. The late Starr would go onto have a legendary career, winning three straight NFL titles from 1965-67 and being named MVP of the first two Super Bowls.
Harry Gilmer — 1948
1st round, 1st pick, Redskins
Gilmer served as both a quarterback and halfback during his time at Bama and later served as a dual threat in the NFL for the Redskins and Lions. He played for eight seasons in the NFL. He made the Pro Bowl in 1950 and 1952 and was also named Rose Bowl MVP in 1946.
