AJ McCarron has the honorific distinction of being the only quarterback to win consecutive BCS National Championship games. He’ll hope to get back to championship form now that he has a new professional football home.
McCarron was selected by the St. Louis Battlehawks in the 2023 XFL Draft on Tuesday. He joins former Virginia Tech quarterback Ryan Willis on their roster heading into the inaugural season of the new XFL.
We're ready to hear your best Ka-Kaw, A.J. McCarron ⚔️
The St. Louis Battlehawks select quarterback @10AJMcCarron! pic.twitter.com/HYCQXE50Kq
— St. Louis Battlehawks (@XFLBattlehawks) November 15, 2022
McCarron had a prolific college football career with the Alabama Crimson Tide. After redshirting during the school’s undefeated 2009 National Championship season, he would go on to start 40 games for the program over three seasons, going 36-4 with two national championships. He also finished his college career with 9,019 passing yards, 77 touchdowns, and just 15 interceptions.
The Alabama QB was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the fifth round of the 2014 NFL Draft but his NFL career never quite took off. In four seasons with the Bengals, he played in 11 games, starting three. From there he bounded around between the Buffalo Bills, Oakland Raiders, and Houston Texans, starting one more game in 2019. He signed with the Atlanta Falcons in 2021 but tore his ACL in the preseason.
McCarron is certainly hoping that the XFL offers him a fresh start and a chance back to the big stage. Until we find out if that can happen in February, the football world had some strong reactions to seeing his name.
AJ McCarron is the Battlehawks QB. Like, that AJ McCarron. Fun!
— Jeff Jones (@jmjones) November 15, 2022
Ah yes the Act 5 of AJ McCarron I needed to watch https://t.co/q93DufllkJ
— Chris Perfett (@chrisperfett) November 15, 2022
That's actually kinda fun https://t.co/a9WAgul7Hf
— Brenden Schaeffer🎳 (@bschaeffer12) November 15, 2022
AJ McCarron sighting.
Do you remember when… https://t.co/w0XqveSlIz
— Brent Sobleski (@brentsobleski) November 15, 2022