A former Alabama quarterback had some harsh comments about the state of the program and how things have changed significantly from his time there.
AJ McCarron, who won a title with the Crimson Tide in 2012, bemoaned the state of the program in an appearance on the “McCready and Siskey” podcast this week. McCarron made clear that he does not necessarily blame coach Kalen DeBoer and his staff for the issues, but said Alabama is experiencing problems because of the changes around college football and a subsequent decline in standards and discipline.
“I think, for sure, the standard that everybody was used to for so long after Alabama fans went through a bunch of hell leading up to those glorious years, I think it’s definitely a different era,” McCarron said, via Nick Schultz of On3. “I don’t think you’ll see the same standard from discipline, just things that the team seems to do. It’s a new day and age. Everybody’s worried about f—ing TikTok and having a reel and being on highlights for their personal self and personal gain, and how much money they can get from NIL. We just didn’t have that s–t back then. It was a team sport. You came together as a team because you had one common goal, because you knew that’s how you were going to make your money, was by winning.”
McCarron warned that, in his view, Alabama fans should not expect to see a repeat of the Nick Saban years anytime soon.
“I would think Bama fans should get used to that in a way of, hey, it’s not gonna be what you knew from 2008 up until last year where there was just a certain standard,” McCarron added. “That’s not a knock on the coaching staff or a knock on anybody. It’s just a different era. I think it’s something that they’re going to have to buckle up if they’re not ready for it.”
McCarron might have a point about the standards changing, but there are other reasons beyond a perceived TikTok obsession. The expanded SEC is tougher than ever, after all, and there was even talk about how things were slipping toward the end of Saban’s tenure, though results never really bore that out.
The college football landscape has undoubtedly changed. Alabama, like everyone else, is adapting to that.
