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Sacks are one of the newer recorded stats in college football, one whose roots go back to varying points in time depending on the school. Most point to 1982 as the point in time when sacks were officially recorded, while some schools have gone back through their annals to retroactively tally up quarterback takedowns.
Either way, only a handful of players in SEC history have hit the 35-sack plateau. Excellent college players like Reggie White, Eric Norwood, Jarvis Jones, Leonard Little and Alex Brown all missed out on reaching the mark. Today, we honor those who racked up 35 or more quarterback sacks in their college careers.
Derrick Thomas, Alabama (1985-88)
Sacks: 52.0
Best season: 1988 — 27.0 sacks (NCAA record)
Alabama’s All-American was a revolutionary player, a devastating pass rusher from the outside linebacker spot. Not only were his 27 sacks in ’88 an NCAA record that still stands, but Thomas’ 52 career sacks still sit atop the career leaderboard for all of college football.
Thomas’ college success was predictive of what he’d do in the pros, as he had double-digit sacks in seven of his 11 seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs before his life tragically ended after a 1999 car accident.
Billy Jackson, Mississippi State (1980-83)
Sacks: 49.0
Best season: 1980 — 17.0 sacks
Jackson, a defensive end, was a devastating player for the Bulldogs. In his first two seasons on campus, Jackson racked up 32 of his career sacks, nearly good enough to get him into this club on his own. One of Jackson’s biggest highlights came in MSU’s 1980 game against Alabama. As a freshman, he sealed the Bulldogs’ upset win by knocking the ball loose on a sack and coming up with the recovery. Jackson was undersized, but was described as one of the strongest pound-for-pound players in SEC history.
Ben Williams, Ole Miss (1972-75)
Sacks: 37.0
Best season: 1973 — 18.0 sacks
Williams’ legacy goes far beyond his impact on the field. Along with James Reed, he was one of the first two African-American students to play football at Ole Miss. That accomplishment stands far above his prodigious career, but he still stands as one of the best defensive players in Rebels history.
Williams racked up nearly 400 tackles in his career as a defensive tackle, and still holds the Ole Miss single-season record with his 18 sacks in 1973. He was a three-time All-SEC performer, and an All-American for that record-breaking season in 1973.
David Pollack, Georgia (2001-04)
Sacks: 36.0
Best season: 2002 — 14.0 sacks
Pollack, a two-time All-American, stands as one of the greatest players of the 2000s, known for an unstoppable motor. He led the Bulldogs in sacks in three straight seasons, leading UGA to two SEC Championship games and a conference title in 2002.
A former freelance journalist from Philadelphia, Brett has made the trek down to SEC country to cover the greatest conference in college football.
