Jackie Cline, a McCalla native and former University of Alabama defensive lineman who contributed to a national championship during the final years of Paul “Bear” Bryant’s legendary tenure, died July 25. He was 66.
Born March 13, 1960, in Kansas City, Kansas, Cline moved to Alabama as a boy and grew up in the Birmingham suburb of McCalla. At McAdory High School he emerged as one of the state’s premier defensive prospects, drawing heavy attention from college programs across the Southeast.
Cline ultimately signed with the Crimson Tide as Bryant’s coaching career neared its close. He arrived in Tuscaloosa in time to be a freshman member of the 1979 national championship team, a squad that cemented Alabama’s place among college football’s elite.
Though limited in playing time that season, he steadily developed into a reliable presence on the defensive line over the next four years. By his senior season in 1982, Cline had earned second-team All-Southeastern Conference recognition.
His combination of size, strength and positional flexibility allowed Alabama coaches to deploy him at multiple spots along the front, a versatility that became a hallmark of his career. After going undrafted in the 1983 NFL Draft, Cline returned home to Alabama and signed with the Birmingham Stallions of the upstart United States Football League.
The Stallions quickly established themselves as one of the league’s strongest franchises, capturing USFL championships in both 1984 and 1985. Cline was a key contributor on those title-winning defenses before the league folded following the 1985 season.
The demise of the USFL sent many of its players scrambling for NFL opportunities. Cline spent time on the rosters of the Green Bay Packers and Cleveland Browns before landing with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1987 during a 24-day players’ strike. His stay in Pittsburgh lasted only one game.
Later that same season he joined the Miami Dolphins, where he found the most stable stretch of his professional career. Under Hall of Fame coach Don Shula, Cline carved out a valuable role as a versatile reserve who could play both defensive end and nose tackle.
Miami coaches frequently turned to him when injuries thinned the depth chart. In 1988 Cline started nine games for the Dolphins, appeared in 14 contests and posted a career-high four sacks. The following year he continued to serve as one of Miami’s primary backup linemen while also contributing on special teams.
Cline closed out his NFL career with the Detroit Lions in 1990 after additional offseason stints with the Atlanta Falcons and a brief return to Miami. Across four NFL seasons he appeared in 42 games, made 11 starts and recorded six sacks. His professional journey also included time in the Canadian Football League, rounding out a career that spanned parts of eight seasons across three leagues.
Throughout those years, the physical tools and football intelligence that first made him a standout at McAdory and then at Alabama remained constant.
Cline’s Alabama roots stayed strong long after his playing days. His son, Dylan Cline, followed a similar path, playing college football at Jacksonville State before earning a tryout with the Arizona Cardinals.
For many who followed Alabama football in the early 1980s, Jackie Cline represented the dependable, blue-collar type of player Bryant valued—someone who showed up ready to work, adapted to whatever role was asked of him and contributed to championship success. His later success with the hometown Birmingham Stallions only deepened that connection for fans across the state.
News of Cline’s death was met with reflection among former teammates, coaches and the broader Alabama football community that still remembers the contributions of players from the final Bryant era.
