Alabama football: 5 most underrated players in Crimson Tide history

With Alabama receiving numbers getting crazier by the year, especially after Nick Saban finally embraced their vaunted aerial attack during Lane Kiffin’s three-year run as offensive coordinator, great receiving talents like David Palmer have been lost to time. Palmer was the star wide receiver at Alabama during Gene Stallings’ heyday as head coach.

Palmer not only was a standout receiver at Alabama, but he was an electrifying return man. He was part of the 1992 National Championship team, the only one under Stallings’ watch and the only won between Paul “Bear” Bryant and Saban’s dynasties. However, it was in 1993 when Palmer truly made a name for himself as a receiver.

As a junior, he had 61 catches for 1,000 yards and seven touchdowns. Palmer became the first 1,000-yard receiver in Alabama football history. He was named an All-American, took home the Paul Warfield Award and was a Heisman Trophy finalist, which ultimately went to Florida State Seminoles quarterback Charlie Ward.

Palmer opted to declare for the 1994 NFL Draft after suffering an injury in the Iron Bowl. He was a second-round pick by the Minnesota Vikings where he spent all seven of his professional seasons as a return specialist before retiring. While his career numbers don’t hold up at Alabama, his third-place Heisman finish in 1993 was the highest before Mark Ingram Jr. won it 16 years later in 2009.