It’s been bandied about as to who actually said it first, but which legendary coach; Texas’ Darrell Royal, or Ohio State’s Woody Hayes, the prevailing theory at the time toward the forward pass was the same: “Three things can happen when you throw the ball, and two of them are bad.”
Quarterbacks weren’t as polished back then, elite cornerbacks weren’t leaving early for the NFL Draft, the 7-on-7 craze hadn’t yet been created, and stats proved the old axiom correct. In fact the top 5 all-time SEC interception leaders are not from this century.
Four players from this century are tied for seventh on that list and can be found below.
One current player is returning for the 2016 season with a chance to break into the top 10. South Carolina linebacker Skai Moore, who decided to skip the NFL Draft and will now try to lead the Gamecocks in tackles for a fourth consecutive season.
“I think Skai made a mature decision to come back to the University of South Carolina,” South Carolina coach Will Muschamp said in a statement released by the school, according to The State. “… I’m excited about coaching him.”
Here are the all-time SEC leaders ranked by career interceptions.
| Player | School | Interceptions | Years |
| T1. Bobby Wilson | Ole Miss | 20 | 1946-49 |
| Chris Williams | LSU | 20 | 1977-80 |
| T3. Glen Cannon | Ole Miss | 19 | 1967-69 |
| Antonio Langham | Alabama | 19 | 1990-93 |
| T5. Buddy McClinton | Auburn | 18 | 1967-69 |
| Tim Priest | Tennessee | 18 | 1968-70 |
| T7. Harry Gilmer | Alabama | 16 | 1944-47 |
| Jake Scott | Georgia | 16 | 1967-68 |
| Mike Jones | Tennessee | 16 | 1967-69 |
| Harry Harrison | Ole Miss | 16 | 1971-73 |
| Jeremiah Castille | Alabama | 16 | 1979-82 |
| John Mangum | Alabama | 16 | 1986-89 |
| Corey Webster | LSU | 16 | 2001-04 |
| Bacarri Rambo | Georgia | 16 | 2009-12 |
| Senquez Golson | Ole Miss | 16 | 2011-14 |
| Johnthan Banks | Mississippi State | 16 | 2009-12 |
Glenn Sattell is an award-winning freelance writer for Saturday Down South.
