BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Southeastern Conference on Thursday announced its 2019 SEC Football Legends class, an assemblage of former football standouts who will be honored at events surrounding the SEC Football Championship Game in Atlanta in December.
The class will be honored at the 2019 SEC Football “Weekend of Champions” December 6-7 in Atlanta, Ga, highlighted by the annual SEC Legends Dinner on Friday, December 6 at the Hyatt Regency in Atlanta. The group will also be recognized prior to the SEC Football Championship Game, which will be held at the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Saturday, December 7.
The 2019 Football Legends Class includes 14 former stars who excelled on the gridiron and helped write the rich history of the sport at their respective institutions. This year’s class includes All-Americans, All-SEC selections and Academic All-Americans as well as successful head coaches. The group represents teams that won National and SEC Championships, participated in Super Bowl titles and are represented in state, school and college football halls of fame.
Below is a listing and biographies of the 2019 SEC Football Legends:
2019 SEC FOOTBALL LEGEND BIOGRAPHIES
AUBURN – Karlos Dansby, Linebacker, 2000-2003
Karlos Dansby was a linebacker at Auburn from 2000-03, earning All-America honors as a senior in 2003. During his All-America campaign, he had 84 tackles, 5.5 quarterback sacks, 13 tackles for loss and four caused fumbles while helping an Auburn defense that finished fifth nationally in total defense. A two-time first-team All-SEC selection, Dansby recorded 218 tackles, 10 sacks, 31 tackles for loss and eight interceptions. The 2003 Atlanta Touchdown Club Defensive Back of the Year, Dansby helped Auburn to a pair of SEC Western Division titles. He was a second-round pick of the Arizona Cardinals in 2004 and enjoyed a 14-year NFL career with four teams. A second-team All-Pro in 2013, Dansby is one of five players in NFL history to record 40 sacks and 20 interceptions in their career. He concluded his career with 1,417 tackles, 43 sacks, 127 tackles for loss and 20 interceptions in 212 career games.
ALABAMA – Ray Perkins, Wide Receiver, 1964-66/Head Coach, 1983-86
Ray Perkins lettered from 1964-66 as a wide receiver on three Southeastern Conference championship teams and two national championship teams at Alabama. As a senior he caught 33 passes for 490 yards and seven touchdowns, earning All-America honors as he capped his senior year with 178 yards receiving in the Crimson Tide’s 34-7 Sugar Bowl win over Nebraska. Perkins was drafted by the Baltimore Colts and played in the NFL for five years, including appearances in Super Bowls III and V. After his playing career, Perkins established himself as a head coach, beginning with the New York Giants from 1979-82. Perkins succeeded Paul “Bear” Bryant as Alabama’s head coach, compiling a 32-15-1 record and three bowl victories from 1983-86. He followed that with a stint as head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1987-90 and as head coach at Arkansas State in 1992. He was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 1990.
