Is Tua Tagovailoa the greatest Alabama football player of all time?
We have enjoyed the use of “Alabama’s sweet Hawaiian prince” all season to describe Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa — as, by definition, his play is pretty sweet for Alabama and he could earn the prince designation should the Crimson Tide win another national title this season.
But Tagovailoa’s latest effort — a 293-yard, 4-TD effort in a big road win against then-No. 24 Texas A&M — got us to thinking …
Could Tagovailoa actually be Alabama’s greatest football player of all time?
The comments section is below, and y’all aren’t afraid to use it. But hear the argument out first.
1. Is Tagovailoa the greatest Alabama quarterback of all time?
The stats bear out a yes here. Tagovailoa has been rewriting the Alabama record books since he first took the field for real against Georgia in the 2nd half of the 2017 College Football Playoff championship game — when a 2nd-and-26 dagger taught the Bulldogs to behave and writ Alabama’s name in Crimson flame for a 17th time.
Tua’s notable Alabama passing records
Beating out current Oklahoma QB and fellow Heisman Trophy contender Jalen Hurts as a sophomore started Tagovailoa’s rise to glory on a full-time level. His 3,966 passing yards and 43 passing TDs broke single-season school records. He finished 2nd for the Heisman Trophy and won the Walter Camp Player of the Year and Maxwell Award along with being named the National Player of the Year by The Sporting News and earning consensus All-America recognition.
One could argue the familiar names: Joe Namath and and Kenny Stabler for starters, Bart Starr, Scott Hunter and Jay Barker if you must. Had Hurts been the one to win the job over Tagovailoa, heck, maybe he would be the subject of this piece. But no matter what happens for the rest of the season before Tagovailoa departs for the NFL, he has wrapped up the crown as best QB in Crimson Tide history.
2. Is Tagovailoa the greatest Alabama offensive player of all time?
It gets trickier now, as Alabama hasn’t exactly been Quarterback U. throughout history. Bringing in the rest of the offensive players since 1892 means considering every running back and wide receiver — and some tight ends — in the conversation.
So let’s consider:
Mark Ingram and Derrick Henry did something that Tagovailoa has yet to accomplish — win the Heisman Trophy awarded annually to the most outstanding player in NCAA football. Henry tops the all-time Tide rushing yards list with 3,591, with Ingram 6th at 3,261 yards. Henry also set the SEC and school single-season rushing mark, going for 2,219 yards in 2015.
Shaun Alexander not only was a dominant force from 1996-99 in gaining 3,565 rushing yards, but he did so on a horse-like 727 attempts. Bobby Humphrey gained 3,420 rushing yards, Kenneth Darby went for 3,324 yards and T.J. Yeldon for 3,322. Those numbers all dwarf what Johnny Musso and Dixie Howell piled up en route to the College Football Hall of Fame, too.
While Ingram, Henry, Alexander, Humphrey, Darby and Yeldon were all dominant Tide players who enjoyed NFL careers, none of them dominated games quite like Tagovailoa.
Among wide receivers, Amari Cooper is an all-timer with 3,463 receiving yards on 228 catches — a full 540 more yards than DJ Hall in second place. Ozzie Newsome became the prototype tight end in the mid-70s and until the turn of the century was the best receiver in Tide history with 2,070 yards on just 102 catches.
But receiver stats are changing quicker than Bitcoin’s value, thus making it trickier to quantify value. Also, every receiver needs a QB to pitch him the rock — and Tagovailoa’s current quartet of Jerry Jeudy, Henry Ruggs III, DeVonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle are vaulting up the career yards list with every catch. And while Harry Gilmer and Johnny Mack Brown are College Football Hall of Famers and Don Hutson is both a College Football and Pro Football Hall of Famer, their stats pale in comparison.
Alabama has had some stellar offensive linemen, too. Chris Samuels and Andre Smith enjoyed NFL careers. John Hannah is a Pro Football and College Football Hall of Famer as possibly the best guard of all time. Billy Neighbors might be No. 2 on that list. Vaughn Mancha was a dominant center in a bygone era. Ditto Don Whitmire at tackle. Dwight Stephenson was a stud in the late 70s en route to a Pro Football Hall of Fame career
But could any of them at their very best hold a candle to Tagovailoa right now?
Nope.
3. Is Tagovailoa the greatest Alabama player of all time?
Now we’re talking. Is Tagovailoa better than Derrick Thomas, widely regarded as the greatest linebacker in Crimson Tide history?
Better than Cornelius Bennett?
What about Lee Roy Jordan? Marty Lyons? Woodrow Lowe?
Is this bordering on blasphemy now?
The verdict …
The short answer is this — yes. Yes, while this may well be blasphemy, Tua Tagovailoa is the greatest Alabama football player of all time.
Tagovailoa, at his position and in his era, is just as dominant as any of them. He can change the game with his left arm and legs. He has played in and won the biggest games … with more left to come. He has the records. There are more to come. There are more championships and rings to win and opponents to punish and legendary moments to author.
Tua Tagovailoa is the greatest Alabama football player of all time. Don’t you agree?
I’m not old enough to have seen Lee Roy Jordan but I read about him and the things he did were just as ridiculous as Tua so I don’t know if I can give him the crown yet. I need to see him redeem himself in the National Championship game after last years two interception game before I can even consider it.
DT is the greatest Bama player of all time IMO…
Agree. Tua is setting records for Bama, DT set records for the NCAA that may never be topped.
It’s tough to compare any modern offensive player to the greats back in the 3 yards and a cloud of dust days. The game differs to much. Would a 19 year old Joe Namath fare as well in a modern air raid offense? We’ll never know. But in light of all that, it’s really tough to argue against the notion. Tua’s stats speak for themselves. He’s definitely leading the most prolific Tide offense I can remember. I hope he stays healthy and wins a Natty. Then I hope Saban retires and Chad Morris is hired to coach the tide…
Well…. Let’s not get carried away here. I would love to see a young Joe Namath play in this era of football and with this group of receivers. And Derrick Thomas could take over a game like no one else other than maybe Lawrence Taylor could. Tua is up there but this is really an unknowable thing. You can’t even call him the most successful QB (yet) since he only has 1 title to McCarron’s 2.
Well, successful doesn’t always equal greatest. McCarron had the benefit of shutdown defenses that the past two defenses pale in comparison to. Imagine this offense with those defenses and it’s hard to see Tua not winning three. He may leave with less success than McCarron, and that has more to do with our defense, but you can’t deny he’s a better QB than McCarron.
I agree Tua is better than McCarron I was just pointing out that there are a lot of ways to look at it. I would rather wait until Tua is done at Bama and then place him in his historical place. Ane he’ll be right up there at or near the top. Maybe just below DT…
I’ve been watching Bama football for over 50 years, and forgive me, but I just don’t see what everyone else is seeing. Tua has a fantastic arm and great instincts, but he’s not consistent. Saban even benched him during the 2018 playoff game against Clemson because of his poor performance. The opposition always knows he’s not gonna run that ball because he’s not that good at it. And he’s been plagued with injuries for a lot the time. I know his passing stats are stellar but IMO, Tua doesn’t have the all-around talent or consistency of Alabama’s other great QB’s like Namath or Stabler.
Trying to put present day events or people into a historical context is a fool’s errand. That being said, Tua is an outstanding player and the best QB to come through Tuscaloosa. “Plagued with injuries” is a falsehood. He was injured at the end of last season. But did you see the hits he took that injured him? Most QBs would’ve been injured as well. Those injuries came from him holding onto the ball to make homerun plays. That’s not part of his game anymore. His injuries lead to sitting out the last part of the SECCG and the NCG. But that was it. He still torched every team not named Georgia & Clemson (though he did actually torch Clemson but the offense failed to convert in the redzone and he was picked off twice). I’m not sure what kind of consistency you’re looking for in a QB but I’ll take any QB that gives us a 74% completion percentage with 2011 yards for 27 TDs to 1 INT. As far as his legs not being a threat, ask LSU fans who watched him outrun their entire defense on a banged up knee (again, rewatch the Mizzou game and tell me a different QB wouldn’t have been banged up from the hits he took in that game). You sound less like a fan and more like a troll from an opposing team. While no one (besides Wasson) is willing to say that he’s the best player in Tide history, yet, I don’t think anyone, besides a troll, can deny he’s been one of the greatest. We wouldn’t have win a NC in 2017 without him and it’s doubtful we’d have made it as far as we did last year without him. And he is carrying the team this year while the defense catches up. Also, Saban didn’t bench him because of his poor performance in the NCG. He was benched because the game was well out of hand, for a multitude of reasons, and Saban knew the future was with Tua and leaving him out there would risk an injury, as it would for any other QB.
For Pete’s sake, I wrote “IMO” which means it’s just my opinion – which I am entitled to. It’s fine that you don’t agree, I usually find it interesting to hear other peoples’ opinions. But I’m far from a “troll”, I’m an alumni of the University of Alabama. You need to lighten up. It’s just football talk. And your opinion might carry more weight if you refrained from the name-calling. Have a blessed day.
First off Saban didn’t bench him against Clemson.. Tua played all but one offensive series in that Game and Saban let the backup finish it out because it was over…
Second it’s hard to say he isn’t consistent when you look at his TD to int ratio, ypa and completion percentage..
Tua probably isn’t going to have many designed runs because we need to keep him healthy. But he is a great scrambler. Just go back and watch the 2017 National Title game. I too have been watching Alabama football for over 50 years and in that time we have never had anyone like Tua. Namath and Stabler were great but Tua is generational.
I’m old. 73.
I’ve followed Bama football for a long time. Simply because of his tenue at Kentucky and coaching players who’s father played for Bryant.
When you start talking about the ‘GREATEST’ of all time, that includes a lot of All Americans.
Maybe if you divided it by decades, he would get some votes.
Otherwise, he’s good along with a lot of others.
My opinion only.
Well if the Tide was running the ball as much as they used to,,,No.
If he finish the year like he has started then Yes to all question. He is the Best QB of all time already.
Tua is making a case for best qb but Bama has had some all time greats. If he finishes this season with a championship then he could be in the conversation for best player.