There are only 10 weeks until Alabama football takes center stage against Florida State in Tallahassee on Aug. 30 at 2:30 p.m. CT. It’s time to take a look at some notable Alabama football players who have worn No. 10.
Donning the number this year are quarterback Austin Mack and linebacker Justin Jefferson. Here are the best Crimson Tide players to wear No. 10 in the program’s history.
A.J. McCarron, quarterback, 2009-2013
Originally from Mobile, Alabama, McCarron was heavily recruited by several SEC teams, including Auburn and Tennessee, but ultimately chose the Crimson Tide. He is in extremely rare company as he won three national championships during his time in Tuscaloosa.
After redshirting his freshman season in 2009, McCarron saw limited action in 2010 as he backed up starter Greg McElroy. He finally earned the starting job in 2011 and didn’t look back, leading Alabama to a 12-1 season and a national championship win over LSU, and he passed for 2,634 yards and 16 touchdowns.
He saw improved success in 2012, once again leading the Crimson Tide to just a one-loss season and another national championship win, this time over Notre Dame, as he passed for thirty touchdowns on the season to just three interceptions.
It was another stellar year for McCarron in 2013, as he passed for over 3,000 yards and tossed 28 touchdowns, along with finishing second in Heisman voting. Although the Crimson Tide started the season 11-0, the team went on to lose to Auburn on the “Kick Six” and be left out of the BCS National Championship, putting a sour end to his college career.
McCarron is considered among Alabama fans to be one of the greatest quarterbacks in the school’s history, as he was praised for his strong ability as a game-managing quarterback. He had several iconic moments during his time in Tuscaloosa, including his game-winning touchdown pass to T.J. Yeldon in 2012 against LSU and his game-winning touchdown pass to Amari Cooper in the 2012 SEC Championship against Georgia.
Reuben Foster, linebacker, 2013-201
Hailing from Roanoke, Alabama, Foster was already making headlines before he even stepped foot in Tuscaloosa due to his memorable recruiting battle between Alabama and Auburn. He was originally an Alabama commit but flipped to Auburn in 2012 and even got the Tigers’ logo tattooed on his arm.
But Auburn ended up firing its head coach at the time, Gene Chizik, and Foster ultimately flipped back to Alabama. He played sparingly in his true-freshman year, registering 12 tackles and a tackle for loss, and saw similar playing time his second year, being more of a special-teams player and notching 22 tackles, two tackles for loss and a sack.
Foster finally took over as a starter in 2015, finishing second on the team with 73 tackles and eight tackles for loss with two sacks. His next and final season would be his finest, as he recorded 115 tackles, 13 tackles for loss and five sacks, and he was named the Butkus Award winner, given to the nation’s best linebacker.
During his time at Tuscaloosa, Foster was most well-known for his hard-hitting abilities, like when he leveled LSU running back Leonard Fournette back in 2014 or sent Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson flying in the 2017 national championship.
Mac Jones, quarterback, 2017-2020
Originally from Jacksonville, Florida, and a Kentucky commit, Jones ultimately flipped to Alabama and signed with the Crimson Tide. He redshirted his freshman season and saw scarce playing time in 2018 but notably had a 94-yard touchdown pass to Jaylen Waddle, the second-longest in school history.
In 2019 when then-starter Tua Tagovailoa went down for the season with a hip injury, Jones took over the reins as starter and played well, finishing the season with 1,503 passing yards and 14 touchdowns to just three interceptions.
The 2020 Alabama offense had one of the greatest offensive seasons any team has ever had, and Jones was a massive part of that. He led the Crimson Tide to an undefeated 13-0 season and capped off his college career with a national championship win over Ohio State.
Jones finished that season with 4,500 passing yards and 41 touchdowns, and set NCAA records with his 203.1 passer rating and 77.4 completion rate. He was a consensus All-American and finished third in Heisman voting.
