Former Alabama QB A.J. McCarron Holds Back Tears After Emotional XFL Debut

The ex-Crimson Tide star pioneered a fourth-quarter comeback for the Battlehawks.

The XFL returned to action over the weekend, with all eight teams kicking off their 2023 season. The St. Louis Battlehawks escaped with a close victory on the road against the San Antonio Brahmas. In the aftermath, St. Louis quarterback AJ McCarron delivered an emotional interview, fighting back tears after a hard-fought victory. 

McCarron, who is best known for his tenure as the QB at Alabama, celebrated the win with his two sons, struggled to find the words to describe the comeback victory. He exchanged a big hug with his kids as he took in the dramatic win in his XFL debut, via ESPN.

AJ McCarron was emotional after celebrating the @XFLBattlehawks' comeback win with his kids ❤️ @10AJMcCarron | @XFL2023 pic.twitter.com/6NJ9lViJvc

— ESPN (@espn) February 19, 2023

The Battlehawks scored 15 points in the fourth quarter, including a crucial conversion on 4th-and-15, which is the XFL’s alternative for an onside kick. 

McCarron played for the Crimson Tide from 2010-13, winning consecutive national championships in 2012 and ’13. During his senior season, he finished as the runner-up in Heisman voting, losing out to Florida State’s Jameis Winston.

The Bengals selected McCarron in the fifth round of the 2014 NFL draft. He made his first regular-season appearance in 2015, spending most of his NFL career as a backup. In total, the 32-year-old appeared in 17 NFL games, playing two seasons for Cincinnati before joining the Raiders and Texans.

McCarron then landed in the XFL with the Battlehawks, and it’s clear he’s not taking the opportunity for granted. It was certainly a debut to remember for the veteran quarterback, and he’ll look to build off his strong start in the coming weeks. For now, he’s soaking it all in, enjoying the emotional moment with his family.

The Battlehawks play at the Seattle Sea Dragons on Thursday at 9 p.m. ET.