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Who was the best athlete to ever play a sport at.........

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11 months ago

Cosmo3 said...
John Hannah, the best lineman to ever play the game. He also won state championships in wrestling and track (shot-putt) in HS. The man was big but make no mistake he was an athlete.

^^^^^ This ^^^^^.... I've heard wild stories from the old man and uncles about huge numbers of students showing up for wrestling matches back in the day because Hannah would completely dismantle people, break arms, etc. He was a bad mamajama. Pretty sure, once you've reached that level of elite athlete, you pretty much pick up anything and are terrific at it.
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11 months ago via 247Sports Mobile Premium Post
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11 months ago

Tman4bama said...
Namath didn't necessarily "light up" the NFL. Sure, he won Super Bowl III...but he also put a LOT of DBs in the Pro Bowl haha
All that aside, yes he was a good athlete.

You would have a different opinion if you had watched Namath play BEFORE his knee injury. He ran like a deer then. He was never the same after injuring his knee while at Alabama. His talents still warranted his pro paychecks. In the NFL, he was playing almost as a cripple (the medical procedures back then were not close to today's procedures).
Joe Namath was a very special athlete.
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11 months ago

Will Lowery
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11 months ago via 247Sports Mobile

Shane_BOL Staff said...
If we are talking physical freak measurables, and we are talking about any sport -
Antonio McDyess or Julio Jones.
As far as spooky athleticism, playmaking ability, eyes in the back of their head but NOT necessarily 40 times, etc. -
David Palmer.

/thread IMO
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11 months ago

Joe Namath, Charles Cleveland, and Ozzie Newsome have to be in the conversation. All were three sport stars would could have gone high D-1 in two sports and/or signed good baseball deals out of HS. John Hannah deserves mention as a jumbo athlete in wrestling and track. Guys like Palmer, Julio, Steve Sloan, Stabler, Richard Todd, and several others deserve mention, but those first three guys are at the top of my list.
I had a friend who's brother was a track star at Bama when Namath was in school. He said before Joe got hurt he was not only the best basketball player on campus but it wasn't close. Same deal for baseball, and the rumor was Joe shot in the 80's in his first round of golf.
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11 months ago

I have already submitted my nomination in the name of Charles Cleveland, but also on those great early-70s basketball teams was a guy named Ray Odumes, who was an All-SEC point guard but went on to greatness in the CFL as a cornerback. Never played on the gridiron @ 'Bama, but was All-CFL for years...
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11 months ago

shawnboy said...
Derrick Thomas. There have been countless greats at BAMA but DT was just in a special class

Agreed...DT was AWE INSPIRING....
'62 Jazzmaster
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11 months ago

Dave Magaden followed closely by Derrick Thomas.
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11 months ago

David Palmer
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11 months ago

Titus Ryan...........
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11 months ago via 247Sports Mobile

For a large guy hannah most definitely. He was one heck of baseball player in highschool as I have been told. I grew up a neighbor of the hannahs but im much younger. From all the stories john especially could have played anything in college
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11 months ago

Football - Duece, Julio, Trent
Basketball - McDyess, Gerald Wallace
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11 months ago

For pure athleticism, I thought Keith McCants was top notch. Obviously DT...The play Marcel Dareus made in the Rose Bowl was one of the most gifted plays Ive seen anybody make. Eric Washington and McDyess were very athletic. Antonio langham was terrific. Derrick McKey was bigtime..As were Sprewell and Hollywood Robinson. Future guys may be E. Williams, R. Ragland, Landon Collins, A Hubbard, Davonta Pollard
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11 months ago via 247Sports Mobile

Dwayne Rudd
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11 months ago

Going to have to go with Palmer, that guy was just a play maker. I have been told that in high school he played pretty much every offensive position (QB,RB,WR) and would just switch from play to play. Amazing. Even though this one won't win, Freddie Milons was pretty fun to watch as well. Especially when Alabama used that 3 WR stack and throw him the screen. not a burner at all, but real make you miss ability.
Follow me on twitter @TrevorHewettBOL. https://twitter.com/#!/TrevorHewettBOL
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11 months ago

Trent Richardson. He could have done more if he was not behind Ingram as freshman. Best RB Bama has ever had.
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11 months ago Premium Post
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11 months ago

Namath easy going away................Offered bonus to sign in pro baseball.
Great amateur golfer. Scored 52 points against bama basketball team in pickup game (best students vs varsity bama team).
Bear Bryant said he was best athlete he ever coached. Good enough for me.
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11 months ago

Football - DT, Julio, or Namath
BBall - McDyess

This post was edited by Cunni035 on 6/11/2012 at 1:49 PM
Roll Tide!
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11 months ago via 247Sports Mobile

flame said...
Alabama?Don Hutson,Julio............what's your opinion?

My vote goes to Sam Haginas.
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11 months ago via 247Sports Mobile

Jackie Traina.
We ARE arrogant, we ARE better than you and Alabama IS the center of the college football universe. Get over it!
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11 months ago

Tide 61 said...
Namath easy going away................Offered bonus to sign in pro baseball. Great amateur golfer. Scored 52 points against bama basketball team in pickup game (best students vs varsity bama team).
Bear Bryant said he was best athlete he ever coached. Good enough for me.

No offense to my old friend Harry Hammonds, but those basketball teams were pretty bad. I do know that JW could slam dunk a basketball--at 6'2".
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11 months ago

Ron Bramlett (three NCAA championships, with a 13.26 110m hurdle time)
Julio Jones (athletic freak)
Keith McCants (pre-knee-trouble)
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