Following the 2008 season, Alabama said goodbye to quarterback John Parker Wilson. Wilson’s tenure as starting quarterback encompassed a time in Alabama football history that contains some of the most tumultuous years in the history of the program. He started for two different head coaches (Shula 2006, Saban 2007-2008) and though at times impressed, much of the Crimson Tide fan-base wanted someone else to step up and step in behind center. No one ever displaced him and in 2008 we saw the maturation of a quarterback when Wilson led the Tide to a surprising 12-2 season.
In the Iron Bowl of that season we caught a glimpse of who would eventually succeed John Parker as quarterback of Alabama. With the Tide up 29-0, redshirt sophomore Greg McElroy stepped in behind center. Just a few plays in, McElroy threw a perfectly placed bomb to wide receiver Marquise Maze in the end zone to bring the score to the final of 36-0. Starting in the spring of 2009, McElroy grabbed a hold of the starting position and never let go. Although struggling for a couple of games during the 2009 season he was able to lead the Tide to a perfect 14-0 record, winning a SEC and BCS championship titles and garnishing SEC Championship Game MVP honors along the way. In 2010, while trying to compensate for an inexperienced defense and a subpar performance from the offensive line the Tide was only able to put together a not too shabby 10-3 record and a Capital One Bowl appearance.
Alabama loses a starter at quarterback who put together a 24-3 starting record in two years. Not only was McElroy a great leader on the field but also has been the face of program the past two years, making appearances on ESPN look like a walk in the park. The next quarterback of the Tide will be stepping into very big shoes. Coach Saban and his staff will attempt to alleviate the pressure on the incumbent; however, the new signal-caller will need to be able to win games should the running game be shut down.