A.J. McCarron Biography

Raymond Anthony "A. J." McCarron Jr. was born on September 13, 1990, and is an American former professional football quarterback who has served as head coach of the Birmingham Stallions in the United Football League. He played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide, leading the team to back-to-back BCS National Championship Game victories in 2012 and 2013 as their starting quarterback. McCarron was chosen by the Cincinnati Bengals in the fifth round of the 2014 NFL draft and spent four seasons in the league as a backup quarterback. He played youth football on the same team as future college teammate Mark Barron during his early athletic development. During his junior year of high school, St. Paul's achieved a 14–1 record and won the state championship by defeating Briarwood Christian School after a missed point-after-touchdown attempt. He concluded his high school football career by participating in the 2009 U.S. Army All-American Bowl. In his initial year at Alabama, McCarron redshirted and did not play, as the Crimson Tide completed a 14–0 season and defeated the Texas Longhorns in the 2009 National Championship Game.