Dallas Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs turned the clock in the 2021 NFL season with 11 interceptions. The former Alabama standout had the most single-season interceptions in the league since 1981, and Diggs set a single-season record for interceptions by a high school or college player from Alabama.

Diggs broke the record shared by three players who reached 10 interceptions in the AFL before its merger with the NFL – Billy Atkins (Millport, Auburn) for the Buffalo Bills in 1961, Tommy Morrow (Georgiana) for the Oakland Raiders in 1962 and Bobby Hunt (Lanett, Auburn) for the Kansas City Chiefs in 1966.

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In the 1970s, the NFL began to pass rules that prevented defensive players from hitting, throwing and pushing potential receivers during their drives, as they had been allowed to do except when the ball was in the air. . This old style of passing coverage gave defenses far more leeway to disrupt passing patterns and mess up timing routes than they have today, and it created more interception opportunities.

In 1978, the NFL adopted a rule to eliminate contact with receivers more than 5 yards beyond the line of scrimmage. But it wasn’t until 1996 that the NFL announced that its officials would crack down and strictly enforce this rule.

In 2001, the NFL announced that its rough passer rule would be enforced more strictly, starting a wave of regulations aimed at protecting quarterbacks.

Statistics indicate that the rule changes have made passing easier and interceptions more difficult. In 1977, the season before the 5-yard rule, NFL quarterbacks threw 51.32% of their throws and intercepted 5.74% of their passes. In 2021, the completion rate was 64.78% and the intercept rate was 2.35%.

Even the increase in chances – from 9,786 passes in 1977 to 18,712 in 2021 – hasn’t made up for the difference in the amount of interceptions. In 1977, 562 passes were intercepted in the NFL. In 2021, total interceptions were 440.

Cornerback Richard Sherman has had more career interceptions than any other player to appear in the 2021 season, and he’s tied for 104th on the NFL’s all-time list with 37.

Jackrabbit Jenkins is the only player in the Alabama Roots top 10 for NFL interceptions who has been on the field the past 19 seasons.

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The 10 players with Alabama football roots who have recorded the most interceptions include:

1. Bobby Hunt, Lanett High School, Auburn: 42 interceptions

Dallas Texans 1962, Kansas City Chiefs 1963-67, Cincinnati Bengals 1968-69: A safety, Hunt was an All-AFL selection on a championship team as a rookie in 1962 and led the AFL with 10 interceptions in 1966 for another AFL championship team. While tied for 67th in NFL history in interceptions, Hunt is 38th in interception-return yards with 755.

2. Eric Davis, Anniston High School, Jacksonville State: 38 interceptions

San Francisco 49ers 1990-1995, Carolina Panthers 1996-2000, Denver Broncos 2001, Detroit Lions 2002: A cornerback, Davis was a first-team All-Pro once and a Pro Bowler twice and returned four of his interceptions for touchdowns. Six playoff interceptions don’t count in Davis’ total, including four in three games in the 1994 playoffs, when the 49ers won Super Bowl XXIX.

3. Andy Nelson, Athens High School: 33 interceptions

Baltimore Colts 1957-1963, New York Giants 1964: A safety, Nelson was a first-team All-Pro in 1959 on the Colts’ second straight NFL Championship team. The previous season, he led the NFL with 199 return yards on eight interceptions.

4. Lee Roy Jordan, Excel High School, Alabama: 32 interceptions

Dallas Cowboys 1963-1976: A center linebacker for most of his career, Jordan was a first-team All-Pro once and a five-time Pro Bowler and peaked at six interceptions in 1975. Jordan had four playoff interceptions that don’t appear not in his total, including two in the 1971 playoffs, when the Cowboys won Super Bowl VI.

5. Wes Hopkins, John Carroll Catholic High School in Birmingham: 30 interceptions

Philadelphia Eagles 1983-1993: A safety, Hopkins earned first-team All-Pro recognition in 1985, when he hit a career-high six interceptions.

5. Don Hutson, Alabama: 30 interceptions

Green Bay Packers 1935-1945: The NFL’s first star receiver, Hutson was a member of the inaugural class of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. But in his days of two-way football, he also played defensive back, leading the NFL with six interceptions in 1940 and with 197 return yards on eight interceptions in 1943.

7. Mike Washington, Lee High School in Montgomery, Alabama: 28 interceptions

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1976-1984: Washington was the Bucs’ right cornerback for most of their first eight seasons. He intercepted a career-high six passes in 1981.

8. Janoris Jenkins, North Alabama: 27 interceptions

St. Louis Rams 2012-2015, New York Giants 2016-2019, New Orleans Saints 2019-2020, Tennessee Titans 2021: Cornerback Jenkins made the most of his interceptions returning eight for touchdowns. That’s tied for eighth most in NFL history and the most for a player with Alabama football roots.

9. Hanford Dixon, Theodore High School: 26 interceptions

Cleveland Browns 1981-1989: A cornerback, Dixon was a two-time first-team All-Pro and a three-time Pro Bowler. He had five interceptions in 1984 and 1986.

10. Speedy Duncan, Druid High School in Tuscaloosa: 24 interceptions

San Diego Chargers 1964-70, Washington Redskins 1971-74: A noted punter and kickoff returner, Duncan also spent five seasons of his career as a starting cornerback, and he was an AFL star in the first three of them. He returned three of his interceptions for touchdowns, including one for 100 yards in 1967.

10. Zeke Moore, Booker T. Washington High School in Tuskegee: 24 interceptions

Houston Oilers 1967-1977: Moore stood out as a kick returner with the Oilers but became a starting cornerback, hitting a career-high six interceptions in 1970, the second of his two Pro Bowl seasons.

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.