50 greatest SEC football players this century, ranked

Best SEC football players this century – 34. AJ McCarron, Alabama, Quarterback (2010-2013)

The Alabama Crimson Tide has only recently been defined by the quarterback. Usually, they have a player who works better as a game-manager than a superstar. There was no better “manager” than A.J. McCarron. He was not there to post eye-popping numbers, but he was there to win. He went 36-4 in his career at Alabama and that includes a Sugar Bowl loss with nothing on the line. He won two national titles as a starter and another one as a backup.

He won back-to-back championships in the BCS era, the only quarterback to do that unanimously. He did this with a different running back every single season. Despite his reputation, he could sling it. McCarron was the MVP of the 2011 national championship game against LSU. He wasn’t there to be a star, but in the process, he became one. Winning cures everything as they say.

Best SEC football players this century – 33. Barrett Jones, Alabama, Offensive Lineman (2008-2012)

Barrett Jones was one of the best offensive linemen of this era. He started his career at Alabama as an offensive tackle. He made the very rare move to go inside and play center when the Crimson Tide needed him. They had players who could replace him as a left tackle, but they didn’t have the right player to play center. So, Jones became Alabama’s center.

Jones would be well decorated in his four years at Alabama. In 2011, he won the Wuerffel Trophy, Outland Trophy, Jacobs Blocking Trophy and the Jim Parker Trophy as a junior. He was a two-time All-America and he won the William V. Campbell and Rimington Trophies in his senior year. His trophy case is very heavy and that’s not even considering his three National Championship rings.