The University of Alabama was the powerhouse institution, in terms of championships, of all five major athletic venues with four national titles. Nick Saban looks to continue this run at head coach, starting with a return to the mountaintop in 2020.
In this installment of “Top Five” at each position, Touchdown Alabama Magazine is doing a series in ranking the five best players of this decade.
Up next are the running backs.
5. Damien Harris
Some may scratch their heads at first but when looking back on the career that Damien Harris put together at Alabama it is amongst the most productive over the last 10 years. After serving in more of a reserve role in his freshman season, Harris burst onto the scene in 2016 and 2017 posting back to back 1,000 plus rushing seasons and 13 total rushing touchdowns over that span. His senior season was nothing to scoff at either, as he was the lead man in a three-man rotation of him Najee Harris, and Josh Jacobs. He’d cap off his 2018 season with 876 rushing yards and nine touchdowns giving him a total of 3,70 rushing yards and 23 touchdowns for his career. But what might be most impressive about his time in Tuscaloosa is that he played in the College Football Playoff National Championship every season of his career.
4. T.J. Yeldon
When you look at Alabama’s offense over the years, there may not be another back who fits the system as good as T.J. Yeldon did. With his phenomenal vision and solid receiving ability, he was a well rounded back who operated in the heart of the Alabama dynasty. Yeldon was also a big moment player for the Crimson Tide even as a freshman. He caught a game-winning screen pass on the road against LSU along with a massive fourth-down conversion against Georgia which lead to the game-winning score. He may not have the star power which a few other Alabama running backs had but he is unquestionably up there in terms of impact on a football game.
3. Eddie Lacy
Eddie Lacey is another classic case of a sleeping giant in the Crimson Tide’s backfield. After playing sparingly his first two seasons, Lacy became a household name during his junior season as he helped lead Alabama to a BCS National Championship. In his final year with the team, Lacy rushed for 1,322 yards and 17 touchdowns along with 189 receiving yards and a pair of receiving touchdowns. What set Lacy apart from others was his ability to be as big as he was and find a way to be as elusive as someone 30 pounds lighter. It helped to have played behind possibly the best offensive line the university ever put together, but his power and signature spin move didn’t hurt.
2. Tren Richardson
A name that may leave a little bit of a sour taste in some Alabama fan’s mouths based on his professional career can easily be washed out when remembering just how great he was in college. Richardson was a game wrecker and a nightmare for opposing defenses to defend. Some may tie his career to Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram as the two made up one of the best running back combinations in all of college football, but his 2011 season is what cemented his as one of the greats. Alabama was coming off of a rather disappointing 2010 season which ended with a 10-3 record and multiple players leaving for the NFL Draft. With the offense in a major transition phase it was Richardson who carried the load and at some points was dragging the team to victory. He finished as a Heisman Trophy finalist as he rushed for 1,679 yards and 21 touchdowns and also went out a national champion.
1. Derrick Henry
When looking back at Alabama’s decade of talent from this position, none can truly compare to the mark Derrick Henry left on the school. With a physique that was compared to a greek sculpture, Henry looked like a defensive end playing the position. And he put his size to great use. In 2015 Henry became Alabama’s second Heisman Trophy winner and captured numerous school and SEC records. He ran for 2,219 yards (breaking Herschel Walker’s SEC record) and 28 touchdowns (another SEC record). Much like Richardson, Henry was somebody who had to throw the offense on his back a number of times to push the Crimson Tide to victory. That season Henry had five games where he had more than 30 attempts and two with more than 40. Henry also played his best games against the best teams on the biggest stages. He ran for over 140 yards against Wisconsin, Georgia, Texas A&M (236), Auburn (271), Florida and Clemson.
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Patrick Dowd is a Reporter for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can follow him on Twitter, via Pat_Dowd77
