Alabama football: 5 most overrated players in program history

In the late 1980s, the Crimson Tide had more than their fair share of elite pass-rushing phenoms at outside linebacker. Cornelius Bennett was the first to go pro, as he put together a good NFL career primarily with the Buffalo Bills. The late Derrick Thomas is one of the greatest players in Kansas City Chiefs history. He went next. And then, there was Keith McCants…

McCants was the third Alabama pass rusher of the trio to go top-four in his respective draft. Too bad he went to the dysfunctional Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who didn’t have a clue how to develop his talent. They wanted him to play with a hand in the dirt like future Pro Football Hall of Famer Chris Coleman at defensive end. It didn’t work and he was out of the league after the 1995 season.

As with Bennett and Thomas before him, McCants was a well-decorated college player for the Crimson Tide. He was a unanimous All-American and won an SEC Championship in 1989. Ultimately, he was a highly touted NFL prospect that never lived up to the hype. You could say a lot of that had to do with where he landed. Thomas and Bennett ended up in better spots.

While Thomas was drafted by the Chiefs and never played elsewhere, Bennett didn’t end up playing for the team who initially drafted him in the Indianapolis Colts, as he spent his prime in Buffalo. Regardless, McCants never could stick in the league, though many poorly run teams wanted him. A good player, but an overrated one forever in Bennett and Thomas’ shadow.