Best Alabama football players: Modern-era Mount Rushmore – From Derrick Thomas to Tua

Despite all of the offensive talent mentioned when talking about the Alabama football Mount Rushmore, the simple fact of the matter is that the program has long been known for its defense. Whether you’re talking about defensive linemen, defensive backs or linebackers, there is a laundry list of Crimson Tide defenders who are, without question, among the greats of the game.

But when you’re looking at the greatest players in the history of the program, only one makes the cut and it should come as no surprise that it’s Derrick Thomas. Though the linebacker and eventual No. 4 overall pick by the Kansas City Chiefs had to wait his turn behind Cornelius Bennett, he established a legacy that far surpassed his predecessor.

Thomas’ magnum opus came in the 1988 season in which he posted an FBS record 27 sacks on the season, including five in one game against Texas A&M. That season in itself almost set the Alabama career record but Thomas ended his time in Tuscaloosa with 52 career sacks. For good measure, second-place on that list has 28 quarterback traps.

While he went on to continue wreaking havoc in the NFL with the Chiefs, his life was tragically cut short at 33 years old due to a car accident. He was, however, posthumously inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2009 and into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2014, both of which were more than deserved from one of the best linebackers to ever lace ’em up.