AJ McCarron and girlfriend Katherine Webb: the full history
AJ McCarron and Katherine Webb make up Alabama’s first couple, if such a thing exists. McCarron is a senior and in his third season as the starting quarterback of the Crimson Tide. He led the Tide to back-to-back titles in his two years as a starter and has gone 26-2 in 28 starts over three years. He’s thrown for 50 touchdowns and nine interceptions during his career. Webb’s stats in her field of modeling have been nearly as impressive. She was the 2012 Miss Alabama USA, a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition model, and she has appeared on TV.
Webb became famous after ABC announcer Brent Musburger gushed over her good looks during the national championship game between Alabama and Notre Dame in January, but her relationship with McCarron began a few months before that.
McCarron and Webb met over Twitter after a mutual friend mentioned the two in the same tweet late last year. Webb says McCarron began following her after that, and she followed him back. They exchanged phone numbers and began to develop a relationship through text messaging. That happened in late November.
“I had no idea who AJ was. But I thought he was cute,” Webb told AL.com about the first time they connected over Twitter.
This is the tweet that started it all:
I would be so flattered if @10AJMcCarron would accompany me to Miss/Teen Alabama USA on Dec 8.. The queen's sister could use a dapper date!
— Alexis Brown (@AlexxIreland) November 29, 2012
Next thing you know, a bunch of the other beauty queens were pushing McCarron to come to their show, suggesting that Webb would love to meet him:
@a_browniieee @10ajmccarron I agree! I'm sure all of the Miss Alabama contestants would love if he came! I know @RealMissALusa would!
— Lorin Holcombe (@RealMissALteen) November 29, 2012
McCarron then asked who the other girl was that they kept mentioning. It was as if the girls were trying to set Webb up with McCarron, which makes Webb’s remark that she had no idea who he was seem like a lie.
@RealMissALteen @a_browniieee @realmissalusa who is this other girl y'all keep talking ab?
— AJ McCarron (@10AJMcCarron) November 29, 2012
@10AJMcCarron @a_browniieee @_KatherineWebb Miss Alabama USA Katherine Webb! Im Miss Teen AL. We know @Brian_Vogler84. You both should come!
— Lorin Holcombe (@RealMissALteen) November 29, 2012
@RealMissALteen @10ajmccarron @brian_vogler84 I am highly entertained reading my twitter feed right now…lol
— Katherine Webb (@_KatherineWebb) November 29, 2012
McCarron then said Webb was probably too famous for him, but admitted she was pretty:
@_KatherineWebb @realmissalteen yeah she might be alittle to famous for me. She's probably got all of the athletes after her shes pretty tho
— AJ McCarron (@10AJMcCarron) November 29, 2012
One of the girls put the screws to McCarron by saying Tim Tebow enjoyed hanging out with them.
@10AJMcCarron @_katherinewebb Not even gonna lie, Tim Tebow loved hanging out with us. So I'm sure you would fit in just fine!
— Lorin Holcombe (@RealMissALteen) November 29, 2012
After hearing that and being pressured some more, McCarron asked when the pageant was.
@RealMissALteen @brian_vogler84 when is it?
— AJ McCarron (@10AJMcCarron) November 29, 2012
Webb watched McCarron play in the SEC Championship Game on Dec. 1 last year, which Bama narrowly won 32-28 over Georgia. The two had become close enough by that point that despite being an Auburn graduate, Webb admitted she was rooting for Bama in the game:
Fine…ill say it. #RollTide
— Katherine Webb (@_KatherineWebb) December 1, 2012
Then AJ fell for the pressure and actually attended the pageant the girls tweeted him about. That’s when he met Webb for the first time.
The relationship moved quickly after that. Webb came to Tuscaloosa to attend McCarron’s graduation, which is where she met his family. He met her family over Christmas break the following weekend. That’s when the first photo of the two was taken (seen at the top).
McCarron’s relationship with Webb was first reported online in December, but at that time there was only speculation that the two were dating. McCarron, however, confirmed their relationship in January when asked by the media ahead of the national championship game.
Then, of course, came the BCS National Championship Game, which is when Webb blew up.
Webb was sitting next to McCarron’s mother, DeeDee Bonner, for the game, and the two were shown on TV by ESPN cameras. Musburger gushed over Webb, and that is how she became famous. Webb’s Twitter following exploded from around 2,200 prior to the game to over 100,000 after it. Even LeBron James began following her, leaving McCarron absolutely stunned. You can read all about the fame she garnered here, because some of the stories are crazy.
After the title game, Webb was the hottest thing on the Internet and had become more famous than McCarron. But Webb wasn’t exactly comfortable with all the attention. She cancelled some interview requests and changed her phone number. Some say that was due to pressure from McCarron, who didn’t like all the attention she was receiving. The two must have worked things out, because Webb did a few interviews, and then she decided which opportunities she would pursue. She ended up posing for the SI Swimsuit issue, and she starred on the ABC diving show “Splash.”
Spend Valentines Day with @KateUpton and @_KatherineWebb at 6pm ET! http://t.co/UvD7fs47 #whereiswim pic.twitter.com/rWyfex8U
— SI Swimsuit (@SI_Swimsuit) February 14, 2013
Since then, things have quieted down for the two. Webb was out in LA doing her reality TV/modeling thing, while McCarron was focused on football. They went to a NASCAR race at Talladega in May:
@10AJMcCarron fun times with the one and only #NASCAR #Talladega pic.twitter.com/v9LUfLUjrY
— Katherine Webb (@_KatherineWebb) May 6, 2013
But they experienced a hitch in June when a gossip report implied that McCarron cheated on Webb with another model. Webb was out to prove things were good between her and AJ, and she shared a photo on Instagram of the two together at McCarron’s graduation.
Webb attended the ESPYs in Los Angeles in July and was one of the stars of the show. McCarron took heat for not attending the show, but he burned everyone in response by saying he was too busy for that.
Though Webb and McCarron don’t interact via social media too much, the most recent connection between them was when she and McCarron’s mother Dee Dee appeared on a magazine cover together:
Cover with my girl @_KatherineWebb ❤ You pic.twitter.com/kn8lZmMw26
— Dee Dee Bonner (@DeeDeeBonner) September 4, 2013
Webb affectionately replied to Bonner’s tweet by saying “you too Ma.”
So what’s Webb’s latest venture? She teased that she’s in a Carl’s Jr. commercial:
Who's hungry? @CarlsJr sneak peek pic.twitter.com/PdLnYfLD6s
— Katherine Webb (@_KatherineWebb) September 7, 2013
As for McCarron, well, he’s been busy focusing on a run at a third consecutive national championship. Between his impressive record and his impressive girlfriend, McCarron has had quite a successful college career.