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Alabama in the Pros

A.J. McCarron credits XFL success to people around him

AJ McCarron leads second comeback victory of XFL season for St. Louis Battlehawks.

St. Louis Battlehawks quarterback A.J. McCarron has shined in his first XFL season.

McCarron is leading the league with 15 touchdowns, and his 67% completion percentage is first in the XFL among quarterbacks with at least 20 attempts.

The former Alabama quarterback took the time to credit his teammates and coaches Wednesday for the success that’s come his way this year, saying he’s had more fun playing this year than he can ever remember.

“These stats don’t happen bc of one guy,” McCarron tweeted. “All of these stats come from this BA coaching staff & teammates I get to work with everyday. I’ve had more fun playing this year than I can ever remember. Head down & keep working!”

 

Before being drafted into the XFL, McCarron spent the 2021 season with the Atlanta Falcons where he didn’t see any action due to an ACL injury cutting his season short. The journeyman quarterback could’ve continued to be a backup in the NFL, but he decided that he missed playing. So, McCarron turned down four million dollars to play for the Battlehawks on a $60,000 salary, to allow his kids the chance to watch him on the field again.

“My 6-year-old loves watching tape of me on YouTube. That’s a big reason I chose to return this way,” McCarron said in an interview with the St. Louis Post- Dispatch. “I probably could’ve tried to come back with an NFL team and had a chance to probably made bigger money, but no one knows what the future holds. I’m enjoying this and it’s a great way to create some memories for me and my boys.”

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Joe Will is a graduate of the University of Alabama, where he spent a year interning at Tide 100.9 learning the ins and outs of sports broadcast journalism.

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