How good have secondaries in the SEC been in the last 10 years?

How about this:

Joe Haden, who was the Sporting News 2009 national defensive player of the year for the Florida Gators, doesn’t make our list of the five best defensive backs from the SEC in the last decade.

Why not? Well, to start, four of the five guys we picked below won a major national award for individual excellence, whether it be the Jim Thorpe Award (four SEC winners in the last 10 years) or the Chuck Bednarik Award (two winners).

And the other guy was a three-time, First-Team All-SEC pick and two-time consensus All-American while being considered by some to be the best defensive back to play for one of college football’s signature programs.

To make this list, you have to be pretty special.

And, as Haden can attest to, you can be pretty special and still not make the list.

5. Morris Claiborne, LSU, 2009-11

How good were LSU’s cornerbacks in 2010? You had Patrick Peterson and Claiborne starting and Tyrann Mathieu in the nickel role, and (spoiler alert!) all three are on this list. Peterson was the SEC Defensive Player of the Year that year, Claiborne followed him with the honor in 2011, a year where he had six interceptions and led the nation in interception return yardage, and also won the Jim Thorpe Award.

4. Tyrann Mathieu, LSU, 2010-11

The cynical joke among some LSU fans in 2011 was that the Tigers’ best pass play was when the other team was throwing and the Honey Badger was in position to defend. The crazy thing is that it’s not far from the truth. Mathieu accounted for 8 turnovers (6 fumble recoveries and 2 interceptions), scored two defensive touchdowns and two punt return touchdowns and was so disruptive, he won the Bednarik Award as the nation’s top defender (the same year Claiborne won the Thorpe Award) and was a Heisman Trophy finalist. In two years, he accounted for 14 turnovers. Had Mathieu, who also forced five fumbles as a freshman, not been dismissed from the team prior to the 2012 season, he might be at the top of this list.

3. Mark Barron, Alabama, 2008-11

If Mathieu’s inclusion leans on a short, but spectacular stay, Barron is the ultimate lifetime achiever on the list. Regarded by many as the greatest defensive back ever to wear Crimson, Barron was a three-time, First-Team All-SEC pick,  a two-time consensus all-American and, most importantly, a two-time national champion. He’s the epitome of a Nick Saban-coached, solid and talented safety. He had 12 career interceptions, including an SEC-best seven in 2009.

2. Patrick Peterson, LSU, 2008-10

Maybe the best pure cover corner ever to play in the SEC (Georgia fans might argue for Champ Bailey), Peterson dominated opponents en route to winning the Jim Thorpe and Chuck Bednarik awards in 2010. He also excelled as a punt returner. Probably more so than any other player on this list, Peterson’s success has continued in the NFL, where he regularly makes the Pro Bowl for the Arizona Cardinals.

1. Eric Berry, Tennessee, 2007-09

The SEC Defensive Player of the Year in 2008, he topped that by winning the Jim Thorpe Award in 2009. He led the nation in interceptions in 2008 with seven, including two returned for touchdowns. In three years, he had 245 tackles and 14 interceptions. Like Peterson, he has followed his college exploits with a similarly successful pro career.

Just missed: Joe Haden, Florida (2007-09), Johnathan Banks, Mississippi State (2009-12).