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Alabama quarterback Keelon Russell (#12) plays during A-Day on April 12, 2025 in Tuscaloosa, AL.
Football season is inching closer, with approximately 12 weeks until Alabama football retakes the gridiron against Florida State in Tallahassee on Aug 30.
The number 12 is a storied one in Alabama’s history. Many notable players, almost all of whom are quarterbacks, have worn it.
Donning the No. 12 this year will be freshman quarterback Keelon Russell. Here is a look at some of the great Crimson Tide quarterbacks who wore the number in the program’s history.
**Joe Namath, 1961-64, quarterback**
“Broadway Joe” was considered a revolutionary at the time, known for his charisma and fashion sense when stepping onto the football field. The Pennsylvania native is also considered one of the first great quarterbacks in the sport’s history, helping usher in a new era.
From 1962 to 1964, Namath played under legendary Alabama coach Bear Bryant, who called the quarterback one of the greatest athletes he had ever coached. Namath was named second-team All-SEC in 1962 and 1963.
He led the Crimson Tide to a 29-4 record in his three years as the starter in Tuscaloosa, being named first-team All-SEC in his senior season and capping it off with a national championship. Namath then went on to have a storied NFL career and was named a Hall of Famer.
**Ken Stabler, 1964-67, quarterback**
Hailing from Foley, Alabama, Stabler wasn’t allowed to play his freshman year due to NCAA rules at the time and hardly saw any action the following year. He finally took over as quarterback in 1966, leading the Crimson Tide to an undefeated 11-0 record and passing for nine touchdowns to only five interceptions.
Stabler’s senior season in 1967 saw the Crimson Tide go 8-2-1. Although Bryant kicked him off the team temporarily due to struggles in the classroom, he was given a second chance and finished the season being named a first-team All-American.
He is most known for his “Run in the Mud” that won Alabama the Iron Bowl in 1967, in which he rushed for a 47-yard touchdown late in the game during a torrential downpour, sealing the 7-3 win for the Crimson Tide.
**Brodie Coyle, 2001-05, quarterback**
Before the likes of Mac Jones, Tua Tagovailoa and Bryce Young wowed fans in Tuscaloosa, Coyle was one of the first Alabama signal-callers to show explosiveness at the quarterback position.
As a prized recruit coming out of high school in Rainbow City, Alabama, Coyle chose the Crimson Tide, which was his father’s alma mater, over Florida State. After redshirting his freshman season in Tuscaloosa, he first saw action in 2002 as the backup quarterback.
Coyle then became the starting quarterback in 2003, setting a school record in passing attempts in a season with 341 and was named the team MVP for the season. He passed for 2,303 yards and tossed 16 touchdowns to 13 interceptions.
His next season was shortened after just three games when he tore his ACL. But he came back strong in 2005, setting a then-school record in passing yards with 2,499 and tossing 14 touchdowns to just four interceptions.
**Greg McElroy, 2006-10, quarterback**
The term “game manager,” referring to a quarterback who doesn’t make flashy plays, is used both as a compliment and an insult, but McElroy exemplified what a good game-manager quarterback looked like.
The Los Angeles native was first committed to Texas Tech coming out of high school but eventually flipped to Alabama late in his recruitment. After redshirting his first season in Tuscaloosa, he spent the next two seasons as a backup quarterback, only playing in eight games.
McElroy’s breakout came in 2009, when he was finally named the starting quarterback. He passed for 2,508 yards and threw 17 touchdowns to only four interceptions, leading the Crimson Tide to an undefeated 14-0 season and a national championship, the first of six for former head coach Nick Saban at Alabama.
In his final season in 2010, McElroy broke Coyle’s passing yards school record, accumulating 2,987 yards through the air and tossing 20 touchdowns to only five picks. The Crimson Tide finished the season 10-3.