Alabama football has many traditions to honor great players.
The best one is having student-athletes cemented on Denny Chimes as team captains.
Players that receive this honor are special as their legacy is entrenched with the greats of the program. Alabama does not retire jersey numbers, but Crimson Tide fans responded to a question from Touchdown Alabama Magazine on Twitter. Fans provided several answers on the player they felt would be the first to have a number retired. Some of the most popular answers included Derrick Thomas, Mark Ingram, Paul “Bear” Bryant, Joe Namath, Don Hutson, John Hannah, DeVonta Smith, Julio Jones, and Shaun Alexander.
If Alabama retired jersey numbers, which player would be the FIRST to have his jersey retired?
— Touchdown Alabama (@TDAlabamaMag) May 30, 2022
Responses from Alabama fans
Derrick Thomas https://t.co/rrdKPWFOD6
— Seth MacMillan (@SethMacMillan68) May 30, 2022
Gotta be #22. First Heisman Trophy winner in school history. https://t.co/7Q6bwVjYjv
— Elite Developmental Training (@EliteDTraining) May 30, 2022
Ingram easy #dueceduece https://t.co/dih83ndTMT
— Kalebe Easley (@Keasley_1) May 30, 2022
Derrick Thomas. Best player to play at Alabama. Before you young people come at me, look up some facts. https://t.co/XVdWTi7jNh
— Chris Parker (@chris_parker222) May 30, 2022
There’s only one answer …. 55 Derrick Thomas https://t.co/zxAplqll6o
— Garebear 🐘 (@GaryCinello) May 30, 2022
https://t.co/k4tKU7hZPz pic.twitter.com/TmTyRs3zOB
— Shaler Grigsby🥋 (@Shaler_19) May 30, 2022
Joe Namath.
Derrick Thomas may have been the greatest player in Alabama history, but Broadway Joe was the most legendary. https://t.co/haaLoGiJtW
— Kickoff with Kenneth (@finder_goat) May 30, 2022
Tossup between Derrick Thomas & DeVonta Smith. https://t.co/HwUwDMJWWq
— CP 🇺🇦 (@ConnorPeden) May 30, 2022
Several great players wore No. 12, including Pat Trammel, Joe Namath, Kenny Stabler, Greg McElroy, and Coach Bryant.
Alabama’s four Heisman Trophy winners — Ingram, Derrick Henry, Smith, and Bryce Young — have a case for their numbers to be retired. We will see if the Crimson Tide goes about doing it, but there are numerous players worthy of having their number retired.
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