Scott Garceau: AJ And Johnny U
They will be forever linked just like Carson Palmer, Peyton and Eli Manning and Andrew Luck. Friday night in Baltimore, Alabama quarterback AJ McCarron will be presented the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award. The honor goes to the nations top Senior or fourth year Junior quarterback. You have to have a great football resume to win the award but there's more, the selection committee considers character, scholastic achievement and leadership.
AJ McCarron aced the test. On the field he quarterbacked Alabama to back to back national titles and was part of 3 national championship teams. His record at Alabama is 36-3, he has the 2nd best interception ratio in major college history averaging only 1 interception every 75 passes. McCarron knows the student in student-athlete it took him only 3 years to get his degree at Alabama. McCarron, who has the ninth highest-rated Total QBR in the country, won the Golden Arm Award over finalists Aaron Murray (Georgia), Derek Carr (Fresno State), Jordan Lynch (Northern Illinois), and Tajh Boyd (Clemson).
What a week for AJ McCarron. Thursday night at the ESPN College Football Awards in Orlando he received the Maxwell Award that goes to the nations Most Outstanding Player. He becomes the first player in Alabama history to win the Maxwell. Friday night it's the Golden Arm Award in Baltimore then he's off to New York where he's one of 6 finalists for the Heisman Trophy. He'll wrap up his brilliant Alabama career facing Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl January 2 in New Orleans.
Pro Football Hall of Famer Raymond Berry, who was Unitas's favorite receiver, will present the award with John Unitas Jr. The selection committee got this one right. The Golden Arm would be proud of this Golden Arm Award Winner.
