The Five Downright Scariest Players in the SEC

Teams in the SEC don't scare me as much as certain athletes. These are people who can singlehandedly steal a game. So, in no particular order, here are the five scariest people in the SEC.

Trindon Holliday, LSU

I hold my breath when I see him with the ball. If you give Holliday the smallest hole or you make the slightest misstep, you're left grabbing air.

Whether he's returning punts or kicks, catching passes, or lining up at running back, he's danger with a capital "D."

Holliday is the fastest player in college football, maybe the fastest ever. At 5'5" and 165 pounds—soaking wet—he's not going to run over anyone, but he will run away from everyone.

Why LSU doesn't use him more has always confused me; he's a touchdown waiting to happen. But don't tell Les Miles; I like him on the bench just fine.

Javier Arenas, Alabama

Arenas made a name for himself as a game-changing kickoff and punt returner. Now, he also prowls the secondary, and with amazing closing speed, what may look like an open receiver is now a picked-off pass.

Moreover, his quick blitzing ability and his thunderous hits make him scary.

At 5'9" and 198 pounds, Arenas attacks the ball carrier like a 290-pound defensive tackle. That makes Nick Saban scared, too. "He'll attack a huge fullback the same way he'll tackle a small receiver," says Saban. "But so far, he's always jumped back up."

Arenas is an all-purpose danger, and other teams should keep the ball as far away from him as possible.

Eric Berry, Tennessee

Just don't throw in his direction. That's the advice that coaches give their quarterbacks regarding Eric Berry, the 5'11", 210-pound junior strong safety.

And it's good advice. Last year, as a sophomore, Berry was tied for the lead among all defensive players for interceptions and broke the SEC record of return yards from INTs with 487 yards.

Before he leaves Tennessee, he will have broken the national record in interception return yardage.

If anybody has ever had NFL written on his forehead, it's Berry.

Jevan Snead, Ole Miss

In their history, Ole Miss has not had much team success, but they do have a record for having some memorable gunslingers.

Well, there's a new sheriff in town, and his name is Jevan Snead.

Last year, the 6'3", 210-pound quarterback took an average team all the way to the Cotton Bowl. He threw for 2,470 yards last year, which included 23 touchdowns and 12 INTs.

Yes, Snead can have an average day from time to time, but the scary thing about him is, if he's hot, it's going to be very scary.

Tim Tebow, Florida

Ask a 5'7" cornerback if a scrambling Tebow with a head full of steam doesn't cause nightmares. Tebow can throw like a Heisman quarterback, run like a halfback, and be as hard to bring down as a fullback.

The 6'2", 238-pound quarterback usually gives more of a lick than he takes. But it's not his durability, passing ability, or running ability that makes him scary, although they certainly cause a chill to run down many a defensive coordinator's spine.

It's his leadership and his ability to seemingly will himself to victory.

Once Tebow is "in the zone," the game is usually no longer in doubt.