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Former Alabama quarterback recalls first NFL playoff action
By Adam Spencer
Published:
Cincinnati Bengals QB AJ McCarron is no stranger to big moments on the football field.
In addition to winning a state title in high school, McCarron also won two BCS national championships as the quarterback of the Alabama Crimson Tide.
Drafted by the Bengals in the fifth round of the 2014 NFL Draft, McCarron took over for Andy Dalton late last season after the starter went down with an injury. In the AFC Wild Card round of the playoffs against the Pittsburgh Steelers, McCarron threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to former Georgia WR A.J. Green to put the Bengals ahead 16-15 with 1:50 left to play.
Though Cincinnati, a team that hasn’t had a playoff win since 1990, went on to lose that game, McCarron told AL.com that the late touchdown pass is a moment he’ll never forget:
“I’ll never forget how loud Paul Brown Stadium was after the touchdown pass to A.J. Green in the playoffs,” McCarron said. “Talking to numerous people that’ve worked there for 30 years, they were saying that’s the loudest they’ve ever heard that stadium. It was an unbelievable experience. I get chills thinking about it, talking about. I’ll definitely never forget that.”
McCarron and the other Bengal veterans report to training camp on July 28. Cincinnati’s first preseason game is scheduled for Aug. 12 at home against the Minnesota Vikings.
Though McCarron will return to backup duty behind Dalton this season, he’ll see plenty of action in the four preseason games.
Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.
