As Alabama goes for its third straight national championship, it does so with the same quarterback.
Nick Saban and A.J. McCarron have been through a lot together. At SEC Media Days, McCarron was asked about that relationship and explained a moment early in his career when things clicked for him.
"He had me with the threes or the fours," McCarron said of a scrimmage. "I had a lot of the walk-ons on my team, the O-linemen, receivers, everything. We were going against (our best players), and I was like, 'We don't have a chance.' As soon as I got the ball, I'd get hit. As soon as it started, I was ticked off the whole day, just unhappy.
"As soon as the day was done, I stormed up to the coach's office. I was like, 'Coach, you expect me to show what I can do, but then you stick me with the group I'm in, I can't do anything.' He was like, 'Today was a test of your leadership, and you failed.'
"From there on, I never questioned him. He's always got a mind game, something he's doing. I just try to think of it fast. Now, I think the same way he thinks. Most of the time, I know what he's doing and what he's thinking. I try to beat him there."
McCarron is seeing a familiar face around the new facilities, with associate director of player personnel Tyler Siskey joining the staff in March. Siskey was McCarron's offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at St. Paul's Episcopal School in Mobile, Ala., before leaving for a job at Arkansas State.
"He left me. I always mess with him, (he was tight) with me going into my senior year and left me early," McCarron said of Siskey. "We were so close in high school.
"When he first got his offer, his wife didn't say congrats or anything to him. She was like, 'Oh, now you'll be able to spend A.J.'s senior year with him in college that you didn't get in high school.' It's cool that we get to have that experience now."
From CoachingSearch.com
Nick Saban and A.J. McCarron have been through a lot together. At SEC Media Days, McCarron was asked about that relationship and explained a moment early in his career when things clicked for him.
"He had me with the threes or the fours," McCarron said of a scrimmage. "I had a lot of the walk-ons on my team, the O-linemen, receivers, everything. We were going against (our best players), and I was like, 'We don't have a chance.' As soon as I got the ball, I'd get hit. As soon as it started, I was ticked off the whole day, just unhappy.
"As soon as the day was done, I stormed up to the coach's office. I was like, 'Coach, you expect me to show what I can do, but then you stick me with the group I'm in, I can't do anything.' He was like, 'Today was a test of your leadership, and you failed.'
"From there on, I never questioned him. He's always got a mind game, something he's doing. I just try to think of it fast. Now, I think the same way he thinks. Most of the time, I know what he's doing and what he's thinking. I try to beat him there."
McCarron is seeing a familiar face around the new facilities, with associate director of player personnel Tyler Siskey joining the staff in March. Siskey was McCarron's offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at St. Paul's Episcopal School in Mobile, Ala., before leaving for a job at Arkansas State.
"He left me. I always mess with him, (he was tight) with me going into my senior year and left me early," McCarron said of Siskey. "We were so close in high school.
"When he first got his offer, his wife didn't say congrats or anything to him. She was like, 'Oh, now you'll be able to spend A.J.'s senior year with him in college that you didn't get in high school.' It's cool that we get to have that experience now."
From CoachingSearch.com
