Bummed out about the NCAA Tournament being canceled? We are too. That’s why BamaInsider created its own version of March Madness to determine who is the Crimson Tide’s greatest player in the Nick Saban era.
We have compiled a 64-player field with seed rankings of No. 1 through No. 16. The tournament will be played out throughout the month and will be determined by fan voting. Fans can vote either through BamaInsider’s Twitter account (@bamainsider) or on the Talk of Champions message board. Players will be matched up against each other with the one receiving the most total votes between both mediums advancing to the next round.
Today we continue with the second half of the Jonathan Allen bracket.
No. 6 seed Andre Smith vs. No. 11 seed D.J. Fluker
Andre Smith: Smith wasn’t brought in by Saban but was the head coach’s first elite offensive lineman at Alabama. The former five-star recruit earned the Jacobs Blocking trophy during his sophomore season in 2007, his first year under Saban. The following season he received the Outland Trophy while blocking for an Alabama team that posted a 12-0 record during the regular season. Smith did not win a national championship at Alabama but was the initial first-round pick in the Saban era when he was selected No. 6 overall by the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2009 NFL Draft.
D.J. Fluker: Fluker’s 6-foot-5, 340-pound frame is matched by an even bigger smile. Although, while he might be a gentle giant off the field, the massive offensive lineman was anything but on the gridiron. After redshirting his first season, Fluker started the next three seasons at right tackle where he led the Crimson Tide to back-to-back national championships in 2011 and 2012. Fluker was also a part of the 2009 championship team, giving him three titles in his Crimson Tide career. He earned All-American honors in 2012 and was selected No. 11 overall by the San Diego Chargers in the 2013 NFL Draft.
No. 3 seed Julio Jones vs. No. 14 seed Kareem Jackson
Julio Jones: Jones was the player who started it all for Saban at Alabama. The five-star receiver was the prize of the Crimson Tide’s famed 2008 recruiting class and didn’t disappoint upon arriving on campus. Jones ranks fifth on Alabama’s all-time receiving list (2,653 yards) and is tied for ninth on the team’s all-time touchdown reception list with 15. Those stats came without the pass-happy offenses or elite quarterbacks Alabama has seen in recent years. Jones earned SEC Freshman of the Year in 2008 before helping the Crimson Tide to its first national title under Saban the following season. Along with being the biggest receiving threat for Alabama during its title-winning season in 2009, he was also instrumental in blocking for eventual Heisman winner Mark Ingram on the perimeter. Jones was selected No. 6 overall by the Atlanta Falcons in the 2011 NFL Draft and is a seven-time Pro Bowler.
Kareem Jackson: Jackson was one of the most under-appreciated defensive backs in the Saban era, serving as a key member of Alabama’s 2009 national championship team. Over his final two seasons with the Crimson Tide, the athletic corner combined for 23 pass deflections. During the 2010 BCS National Championship Game, Jackson’s final game with Alabama, he blanketed Texas receivers, helping the Crimson Tide limit the Longhorns to 17 of 42 passing for 209 yards with two touchdowns and four interceptions. Jackson was selected No. 20 overall by the Houston Texans in the 2010 NFL Draft.
No. 7 seed Eddie Jackson vs. No. 10 seed Courtney Upshaw
Eddie Jackson: A former two-way player in high school, Jackson played defensive back during his time at Alabama. However, that didn’t stop the elusive playmaker from being a threat to score every time he touched the football. He finished his four-year career with three interceptions returned for touchdowns while also bringing back two punts for scores. Jackson holds Alabama’s all-time record for interception return yards with 303. He also holds the single-season mark with 230 yards in 2015, including a single-game 119 yards off two interceptions against Texas A&M that year. A broken leg cut Jackson’s senior season short in 2016. However, he still earned second-team All-SEC honors that year despite playing in eight games.
Courtney Upshaw: “Touch that thang, folk!” Upshaw’s famous phrase after earning MVP honors during the 2012 BCS National Championship Game still brings a smile to the faces of Alabama fans. During that game, the outside linebacker tallied seven tackles including a sack to help Alabama shut out LSU 21-0. Upshaw earned All-American honors during his senior season in 2011, leading the Crimson Tide with 18 tackles for a loss, 9.5 sacks and 10 quarterback hurries while also forcing two fumbles and returning an interception 45 yards for a touchdown. He was also a part of the 2009 national championship team, ending his college career with two titles.
No. 2 seed Minkah Fitzpatrick vs. No. 15 seed Mike Johnson
Minkah Fitzpatrick: Alabama has had plenty of talented defensive backs under Saban. None have been quite as good as Fitzpatrick. The elite defender became just the third player in NCAA history to win both the Bednarik and Thorpe awards in the same season, earning the honors during his junior year in 2017. He holds Alabama’s all-time record for interceptions returned for touchdowns with four and is tied for the single-game record for interceptions with three against Arkansas in 2016. During that game, he returned an interception 100 yards for a touchdown, the longest interception return in school history. Fitzpatrick was a two-time consensus All-American (2016-17) and was apart of both the 2015 and 2017 national title teams.
Mike Johnson: Johnson was one of the key blockers on Saban’s first championship team at Alabama in 2009 where he helped clear the way for Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram. He is a two-time All-American (2008-09) and was a consensus All-American during his senior season in 2009. Johnson was selected by the Atlanta Falcons in the third round of the 2010 NFL Draft.
WestGate Luxury Condos - To be any closer, you'd need a ticket
Andrew Bone, of BamaInsider.com, is a real estate broker in the state of Alabama.
Contact Andrew Bone for all of your real estate needs; buyers, sellers, investors, developers. Property management; BoneHomeTours.com Call 205-531-5577 or click here
