Alabama quarterback AJ McCarron (10) celebrates a touch down scored by Alabama tight end O.J. Howard (88) during the first half of an NCAA college football game against LSU , Saturday, Nov. 9, 2013, in Tuscaloosa, Ala. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)
By Andrew Gribble | [email]agribble@al.com[/email] Email the author | Follow on Twitter
on December 09, 2013 at 5:10 PM, updated December 09, 2013 at 5:12 PM
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TUSCALOOSA, Alabama -- The time in AJ McCarron's life that hasn't included a trip to New York City ends Saturday.
The Alabama quarterback was one of five players invited to Saturday's Heisman trophy ceremony at the Best Buy Theater in Times Square. He'll be joined by the odds-on favorite for the award, Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston, and four others: Northern Illinois quarterback Jordan Lynch, Auburn running back Tre Mason, Boston College running back Andre Williams and last year's winner, Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel.
ESPN's coverage of the event begins at 7 p.m. central.
In his third year as Alabama's starting quarterback, McCarron completed 67 percent of his passes for 2,676 yards and 26 touchdowns and five interceptions. Along the way, he broke nearly all of Alabama's program records for passing and enters the Crimson Tide's Sugar Bowl showdown against Oklahoma with a 36-3 record as a starter.
Earlier today, McCarron won the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, an honor that goes to the best fourth-year quarterback. He'll fly to Orlando on Thursday for the Home Depot College Football Awards, where he'll be in the running for the Maxwell Award (college player of the year) and Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award. McCarron, who is also a finalist for Walter Camp National Player of the Year, will accept the Golden Arm Award in Baltimore on Friday.
McCarron was an honorable mention selection for the Associated Press' all-SEC teams.
In a Sports Illustrated profile of McCarron, the Crimson Tide quarterback who grew up in Mobile revealed he'd never been to New York City, "and I'm a Yankees fan!"
McCarron is the third Alabama player to be invited to the ceremony in the past five years, as running back Mark Ingram went and won it in 2009 and Trent Richardson finished in second place in 2011.
Before this stretch, Alabama hadn't sent a player to New York City since David Palmer (third) and Jay Barker (fifth) went in back-to-back seasons in 1993 and 1994
