In leading No. 2 Alabama to a 32–13 beatdown of No. 1 Florida in the 2009 SEC Championship Game, Greg McElroy displayed the panache befitting a national championship-winning QB. Not to mention the balance and dexterity of a ballet dancer.
With the Crimson Tide nursing a 9–3 lead in the second quarter, McElroy rolled right to evade a Gators blitz on third down. He was forced to the sideline roughly six yards short of the first down, but in a moment of great improvisation, he hopped along the chalk for the necessary yardage.
Fittingly, CBS’ Verne Lundquist called McElroy’s move a “Baryshnikov,” named for the famous Russian ballet dancer. Alabama would kick a field goal later on the drive and wouldn’t look back, with McElroy earning MVP honors for the game and the team eventually winning the national title over Texas.
The second-ranked Tide is back in the SEC Championship Game this Saturday against No. 3 Georgia and gunning for its third BCS title in four years. McElroy, in his second season as the New York Jets’ backup QB, will be watching. Greg McElroy profile
