Every fan base has players it absolutely adores. Be they all-time greats, role players who showed persistence and grit or someone in between, these players hold a special place in program history.

We’ll start this at the turn of the century, looking at a beloved player for each program since the start BCS era, from 1998 through present.

Alabama — Tyrone Prothro, 2003-05: Prothro’s career ended tragically, with one of the worst in-game injuries you’ll ever see. Still, he’s revered for “The Catch” he made against Southern Mississippi, one of the most incredible football plays ever. He’s served as marshall in Alabama homecoming parades and his advocacy for student-athlete rights is laudable. Any number of Nick Saban-era players would fit here as well, be it AJ McCarron, Barrett Jones, Julio Jones, Mark Ingram or Amari Cooper.

Arkansas — Darren McFadden, 2005-07: McFadden was in good with Razorbacks fans before he even set foot on campus, spurning several national powerhouse schools to stay close to home. The North Little Rock native put on a show for fans as soon as he got to campus, rushing for more than 1,000 yards in all three of his years on campus and twice representing the Razorbacks as a Heisman finalist, finishing second in both 2006 and 2007, while bringing a host of other awards back to Fayetteville in the process.

Auburn — Cam Newton, 2010: Of course Newton holds a special place in Auburn history, thanks to his magical season on the Plains. He won the Heisman and led Auburn to an undefeated national championship season that included a dramatic comeback at Alabama, and he did it all with a smile on his face despite off-field distractions. What makes Newton so special is his connection to Auburn fans even as he plays for the Carolina Panthers, dropping by campus whenever he can and gladly posing for pictures with fans.

Florida — Tim Tebow, 2006-09: Who else could it be? Tebow is the model college football player, passionate to the extreme about his school and as good as they come on the field. Thanks to his Heisman win, he already has a statue at the Swamp. Tebow bled blue and orange while winning two national titles, and he could do no wrong while playing for the Gators.

Georgia — David Pollack, 2001-04: The three-time All-American was a force that wouldn’t quit for the Bulldogs. He won the 2002 SEC Player of the Year while leading Georgia to an SEC title and left it all on the field every game. While he irks some people with his objectivity on ESPN these days, no one has a single bad thing to say about him as a Bulldogs player.

Kentucky — Randall Cobb, 2008-10: There are few players over the last 15 years as electrifying and versatile as Cobb. Though he played on some middling teams, Cobb gave fans more than enough reason to come watch the Wildcats. He was a threat to score as a runner, receiver and, oh yeah, he played quarterback, too. He was a great leader in the locker room and is the Wildcats’ all-time touchdown leader.

LSU — Matt Mauck, 2000-03: After coming off the bench to lead LSU to an SEC championship in 2001, engineering a comeback against No. 2 Tennessee, Mauck took over as starter in 2002. In the 2003 season, he piloted the Tigers to their first national championship in nearly 50 years. He started the tradition of passing on the No. 18 jersey to a new senior leader every season, meaning his legacy lives on in Baton Rouge.

Mississippi State — Dak Prescott, 2012-present: As the Bulldogs continue to rise as an SEC program, there’s no better ambassador than Dak. With a million-dollar smile, a humble attitude, overcoming a tough background and losing his mother while in college and, of course, his hard-nosed on-field performances, it seems like the only people who dislike Dak are drunk college kids in Panama City.

Missouri — Brad Smith, 2001-05: The Tigers quarterback excelled both on and off the field, leading Missouri to its first bowl win in seven years as a sophomore. He was involved in fundraisers and philanthropy groups away from the gridiron while also making the Big 12’s all-academic team. His thrilling play and sterling character helped endear him to Mizzou fans.

Ole Miss — Eli Manning, 2000-03: The son of Ole Miss legend Archie, Manning followed in his father’s footsteps at Ole Miss, unlike his older brother Peyton. Manning left school holding 45 offensive records, led the team to two bowl wins and brought the Rebels their first 10-win season in more than 30 years while winning SEC MVP in 2003.

South Carolina — Marcus Lattimore, 2010-12: There might be no more heartbreaking story in recent SEC history than Lattimore’s. After dominating as a freshman, Lattimore tore his ACL as a sophomore. He battled back and was ready for the start of his junior year, but he destroyed his knee against Tennessee, a play that ended his playing career. Lattimore still ended up the school’s all-time touchdown leader and is beloved for his hard running and devotion to the university, and he’s the player who turned South Carolina into an East contender.

Tennessee — Eric Berry, 2007-09: Look no further than the outpouring of support Berry received from Tennessee when he was diagnosed with lymphoma this past fall. The team donned stickers bearing his number, the crowd at Neyland Stadium chanted his name and “#Berrystrong” became a popular hashtag on Twitter. During a down period for the Vols, Berry brought heart and passion to the field every Saturday.

Texas A&M — Dat Nguyen, 1995-98: Nguyen barely makes the cutoff, but no player in Aggies history had the kind of heart and determination that Nguyen exhibited at the college level. The undersized linebacker was the leader of the “Wrecking Crew” defense and left school as A&M’s all-time tackles leader despite many thinking he was too small to play linebacker at the college level.

Vanderbilt — Jordan Matthews, 2010-13: Possibly the best player in Vanderbilt history, Matthews set school records for career catches, yards and receiving touchdowns, and left school as the SEC’s all-time receptions leader. A hard worker with a humble demeanor, Matthews was part of the greatest era of Vanderbilt football.