Alabama has always been one of the best programs in college football, but its record of sending starting quarterbacks to the NFL has been much more spotty. Though it can claim such Hall of Fame legends as Bart Starr, Joe Namath and Kenny Stabler, it’s been decades since a Crimson Tide signal caller has been effective in the pro ranks.
Indeed, before A.J. McCarron won two games with the 2015 Bengals, it had been 28 years since an Alabama alumni (Jeff Rutledge, 1987) had won a game as a starting quarterback in the NFL.
With Tua Tagovailoa’s big day coming up, here’s a look at the 14 Alabama quarterbacks who have been drafted by the pro ranks and how they did.
A.J. McCarron — 2014
5th round, 164th pick, Bengals
McCarron won back-to-back national titles as a starter at Alabama and was also at the school for the 2009 title. Success in the NFL hasn’t come quite as easily, though. McCarron has only started four games over his six-year career. He played for the Texans in 2019 and recently re-signed with the team for the 2020 season to be Deshaun Watson’s backup.