Former Crimson Tide quarterback A.J. McCarron was at Academy Sports + Outdoors in Mobile, AL this week and handed out 15, $150 gift cards to a group of local youth for them to have a shopping spree.

McCarron is preparing to host the seventh iteration of his annual free football camp in Mobile on July 10, and this is now the second year in a row that the company has partnered with the quarterback.

Photo courtesy of AJ McCarron on Facebook
Photo courtesy of AJ McCarron on Facebook
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McCarron joined the Crimson Tide in 2009 as the only quarterback in the class, and after sitting behind Greg McElroy for his first two seasons, took over as the starter heading into 2011.

In his first season as head of the offense, McCarron played excellent. The former four-star prospect led the Tide to a 12-1 record, culminating with a national championship victory over LSU. McCarron threw for over 2,600 yards 16 touchdowns, which ranked third in the SEC.

1. AJ McCarron
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2012 was much of the same for McCarron and the Tide as Alabama rolled to a 13-1 record and another national championship victory, this time over Notre Dame. McCarron's numbers improved from the previous season as well, finishing the year with nearly 3,000 passing yards and 30 touchdowns to just three interceptions.

In his final season with the program, McCarron posted his best statistical year yet. The signal caller threw for over 3,000 yards and 28 touchdowns and finished second in Heisman Trophy voting behind Jameis Winston.

While many scouts praised the quarterback for his winning attitude and knowledge of the game, McCarron's physical traits left a lot to be desired and he was not considered one of the top quarterback options in the 2014 NFL Draft.

Despite his his physical shortcomings, the Cincinnati Bengals took a chance on the game manager and selected him in the fifth round with the 164th overall pick.

Cincinnati Bengals v Denver Broncos
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McCarron spent four seasons with the Bengals, appearing in just 11 games with three starts. In 2018, McCarron signed with the Buffalo Bills as a free agent, but was unable to secure the starting job and was quickly traded to the Oakland Raiders where he spent time as a backup again.

The Raiders released McCarron before the 2019 season and he signed with the Texans where stayed until 2021. After his stint in Houston, McCarron signed a one-year deal with the Atlanta Falcons, but unfortunately suffered a torn ACL and was forced to miss the entire season.

As of now, the Alabama legend says he is healthy and ready to make his return to football, and is just waiting for his opportunity. There are plenty of quarterback needy teams in the NFL, so McCarron could potentially make his way back into a lineup this season.

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