Former Alabama quarterback Vince Sutton died Thursday in his hometown of LaGrange, Ga.
The LaGrange Daily News reported that Sutton had suffered from kidney disease and experienced two strokes, which had led to partial blindness.
Sutton started as a freshman for the Crimson Tide in 1984 and was the program's last quarterback to start as a true freshman until Jalen Hurts in 2016. He played in 21 career games, completing 92 of 215 passes (42.8 percent) for 1,102 yards with 10 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.
A star signee from LaGrange High School, Sutton played in nine games as a freshman, completing 60 of 135 passes (44.4 percent) with four touchdowns and nine interceptions. Alabama went 5-6 in 1984, its first losing season since 1957, but Mike Shula grabbed the quarterback reins in 1985 and guided the Crimson Tide to a 9-2-1 record.
Sutton played sparingly in 1985 and redshirted in 1986, when Shula was a senior, before playing two more seasons. Sutton split time in 1987 with Jeff Dunn, Billy Ray and David Smith, and he played behind Smith and Dunn in 1988.
After his college career, Sutton returned to LaGrange and coached at Dawson Street Christian School.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.