SEC Football history: 50 best players of all time

8. Best SEC football players of all time: Cornelius Bennett, Alabama football

Cornelius Bennett was born in Birmingham, Alabama, so it is only fitting that he would become a legendary collegiate player playing for the University of Alabama. A dominant linebacker for the Crimson Tide, Bennett played for Alabama from 1983 through 1986, becoming one of the premier defenders in the history of SEC Football.

Bennett,  known as “Biscuit,” actually played running back during his time at Ensley (AL) High School, but he would come to terrorize them once he arrived on campus at Alabama. Bennett was the second player in school history to be named a consensus All-American for three straight seasons, joining fellow linebacker Woodrow Lowe.

In 1986, Bennett really took home the hardware, as he not only was named the SEC’s Player of the Year, but he also became the first linebacker to win the Lombardi Award. Finishing seventh in the Heisman Trophy voting that season, Bennett left Alabama with 21.5 sacks, including ten that 1986 season to go along with six forced fumbles, a dominant season by any standard.

In one of the more iconic plays in Alabama history, Bennett’s sack on Notre Dame’s Steve Beuerlen is just known as “the sack,” and a painting of it is the first thing you see when entering the Paul W. Bryant Museum. All told, Bennett is easily one of the greatest players in Alabama history, is a member of the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame, the College Football Hall of Fame, and a member of Alabama’s All-Century team. Not bad for a running back from Birmingham.