Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson was a member of the Miami, Florida team that lost to Alabama 34-13 on January 1, 1993 in the Sugar Bowl, the game that decided the college football national champion for the 1992 season .
But the actor and wrestler held no hard feelings as he and XFL co-owner Dany Garcia spoke with quarterback AJ McCarron, who was a member of three national championship teams in Alabama.
“We wanted to welcome you to the XFL,” Johnson said. “AJ, you know that, but we’d be remiss without saying it, it’s your skill, your pedigree, your talent, your attitude, your humility, your drive, your passion, those are all the qualities that live in us, not just as passionate football fans and lovers of the game, but also as owners of the XFL, so as you know we expect great things from you, man.
“You are a champion many times. It breaks my heart that you beat us to the national championship with Miami years ago. But it does not matter. But we wanted to welcome you to the XFL.
The Spring Football League announced Tuesday that McCarron will play for the St. Louis Battlehawks when the season begins in February.
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The XFL was last seen in 2020, when it ended its season halfway through the schedule due to the coronavirus pandemic. Johnson and Garcia lead the new ownership group that resurrected the eight-team league.
“I just want to say that I appreciate you all with this league and giving opportunities to a lot of guys”, McCarron said. “Not only me, but guys who failed to play in the (national football) League. But listen, this is a big step towards that dream for them.
The Battlehawks are a legacy franchise from the 2020 XFL season.
“That fan base in St. Louis, man, that’s a different kind of passion that you’re going to feel,” Johnson said McCarron.
“I’m excited about the St. Louis Battlehawks,” McCarron replied. “I know the hard-working people there have a passion for the game. They have a leader themselves that I hate losing more than I like winning, so I’m going to work hard to make this city win. .
McCarron earned all-state honors in football and baseball at St. Paul’s Episcopal in Mobile and helped the Saints win the AHSAA Class 5A football championship in 2007.
McCarron was the starting quarterback for Alabama teams that won the BCS National Championships for the 2011 and 2012 seasons. In 2013, he became the Crimson Tide’s all-time leader, won the Maxwell Award and the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award and finished second in the balloting for the Heisman Trophy.
McCarron entered the NFL as a fifth-round selection in the 2014 draft. He has been with the Cincinnati Bengals, Buffalo Bills, Oakland Raiders, Houston Texans and Atlanta Falcons, mainly in a substitute role. In 17 NFL regular season games, McCarron completed 109 of 174 passes for 1,173 yards with six touchdowns and three interceptions.
McCarron hasn’t played since Aug. 21, 2021, when he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during a preseason game in Atlanta.
Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.