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Editor’s note: SDS is ranking the 25 best SEC players — at any position — of the last decade. Alabama RB Mark Ingram is next up in a 25-part daily series.
- No. 25: South Carolina WR Alshon Jeffery
- No. 24: Texas A&M LT Luke Joeckel
- No. 23: Vanderbilt WR Jordan Matthews
- No. 22: Alabama OL Barrett Jones
- No. 21: Georgia QB Aaron Murray
- No. 20: Florida OL Mike Pouncey
- No. 19: Georgia LB Jarvis Jones
- No. 18: Georgia WR A.J. Green
- No. 17: Alabama LB Rolando McClain
- No. 16: Florida LB Brandon Spikes
- No. 15: South Carolina DE Jadeveon Clowney
- No. 14: Alabama QB AJ McCarron
- No. 13: Alabama RB Mark Ingram
- No. 12: LSU DB Patrick Peterson
- No. 11: Alabama WR Amari Cooper
- No. 10: Alabama WR Julio Jones
- No. 9: Ole Miss LB Patrick Willis
- No. 8: LSU DL Glenn Dorsey
- No. 7: Tennessee DB Eric Berry
- No. 6: LSU DB Tyrann Mathieu
- No. 5: Florida ATH Percy Harvin
- No. 4: Arkansas RB Darren McFadden
- No. 3: Texas A&M QB Johnny Manziel
- No. 2: Auburn QB Cam Newton
- No. 1: Florida QB Tim Tebow
14.) ALABAMA RB MARK INGRAM (2008-10)
In the closest Heisman vote in history, Crimson Tide running back Mark Ingram became Alabama’s first winner in program history following a spectacular sophomore season in 2009, eclipsing Bobby Humphrey’s single-season rushing record with 1,658 yards and 17 touchdowns.
A 5-foot-9, 215-pound tank, Ingram was one of the best ball carriers to ever play in the SEC, bulldozing over defenders and side-stepping others on his way to 3,261 career yards on the ground, enough to land him in the Top 25 all-time. He was an impact player from the start as a four-star recruit, setting an Alabama record for touchdowns as a true freshman with 12 in 2009 behind starting tailback Glen Coffee.
As his career progressed, Ingram became a receiving threat out of the backfield, similar to a Marshall Faulk-type role. One of college football’s most-feared downhill runners during his tenure, Ingram skipped his senior season for the NFL Draft as a projected first-round.
Heading into his fifth professional season next fall, Ingram has found his niche with the New Orleans Saints, making his first Pro Bowl during the 2104 campaign.
Career numbers: 572 carries, 3,261 yards, 60 catches, 670 yards, 42 total TD
Individual superlatives: Heisman (2009) Consensus All-American (2009); SEC Off. POTY (2009)
NFL Draft: No. 28 overall in 2011
Defining moment: In the BCS Championship Game, Ingram rushed for 116 yards and two touchdowns as the offensive player of the game. Earlier during that 2009 season, he rushed for a career-high 246 yards in Tuscaloosa against South Carolina.
