Players from Alabama high schools and colleges show up 24 times in the NFL’s choices for its “Top 100 Plays of the 2024 Season” either passing, catching, running, returning or intercepting the football, including a pass with one such player on each end.
Players with Alabama roots are featured in four of the top 10 plays of the season, including No. 1, although Philadelphia Eagles and former Alabama quarterback Jalen Hurts had the easy part. Hurts completed a pass to running back Saquon Barkley, who then backward hurdled a Jacksonville Jaguars defender in a 28-23 victory on Nov. 3.
At No. 10, Carolina Panthers and former Alabama quarterback Bryce Young threw the pass that wide receiver Adam Thielen caught with one hand in a 26-23 overtime loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Dec. 1.
In the two top-10 plays in between involving former state stars, they had a more active role.
At No. 5, Buffalo Bills and former Alabama wide receiver Amari Cooper caught a short pass, then flipped the football back to quarterback Josh Allen, who ran 9 yards to the end zone in a 35-10 victory over the San Francisco 49ers.
At No. 7, Denver Broncos and former Pinson Valley High School and Auburn quarterback Bo Nix, escaping pressure and on the run, threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Marvin Mims with eight seconds left in the fourth quarter of a 30-24 overtime loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on Dec. 28.
WATCH THE “TOP 100 PLAYS OF THE 2024 SEASON”
The “Top 100 Plays of the 2024 Season” include 17 players from Alabama high schools and colleges:
- Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams (Alabama): Nos. 12, 39 and 85
- Buffalo Bills wide receiver Amari Cooper (Alabama): Nos. 5 and 47
- Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (Alabama): Nos. 1 and 37
- Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (Pinson Valley, Alabama): Nos. 7 and 58
- Tennessee Titans wide receiver Calvin Ridley (Alabama): Nos. 23 and 90
- Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith (Alabama): Nos. 37 and 48
- Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (Alabama): Nos. 10 and 49
- Houston Texans wide receiver Nico Collins (Clay-Chalkville): No. 28
- Cleveland Browns running back Jerome Ford (Alabama): No. 91
- Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs (Alabama): No. 38
- Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry (Alabama): No. 96
- Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey (Hoover, Alabama): No. 93
- Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs (Alabama): No. 64
- Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Mac Jones (Alabama): No. 70
- Buffalo Bills wide receiver Tyrell Shavers (Alabama): No. 44
- Denver Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain (Alabama): No. 21
- Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Jalen Tolbert (McGill-Toolen, South Alabama): No. 24
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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at @AMarkG1.