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Alabama QBs in the NFL: Mac Jones, Tua Tagovailoa lead next era of Tide's pro signal-callers

Two of the most scrutinized young quarterbacks in the NFL will face off in Week 1 on Sunday when the Dolphins travel to take on the Patriots in Gillette Stadium: Miami's Tua Tagovailoa and New England's Mac Jones, both from the University of Alabama.

They represent an unprecedented breakthrough in the NFL for the Crimson Tide in that they're the first quarterbacks taken in the first round of consecutive drafts; they're also the program's first first-round selections since Richard Todd was drafted sixth overall in 1976. Apart from Bart Starr, Joe Namath and Kenny Stabler — Super Bowl winners and Hall of Famers all — Alabama has otherwise had middling to poor quarterback play in the NFL, from Jeff Rutledge and Mike Shula to Brodie Croyle and AJ McCarron.