He is the reason why Derrick Thomas, despite his death, is in the College Football and Pro Football Hall of Fame.
He knew he was talented and Alabama’s coaches knew it too, but Thomas had to earn his keep from Cornelius Bennett.
Bennett not only challenged him, but his accomplishments were what Thomas strived for. A native of Birmingham, Ala., Bennett was a star in football, basketball and baseball at Ensley High School. When he got to the University of Alabama in 1983 as a freshman, Ray Perkins was happy to have him and the Crimson Tide program was grateful for him.