-- Tony McCarron called it "one of the best experiences" his son has ever had as a college quarterback.

So when the opportunity to attend the Manning Passing Academy presented itself for a second consecutive year, AJ McCarron, Alabama's junior quarterback, didn't hesitate. He's one of 41 starting college quarterbacks in attendance for the four-day camp, which began Thursday and runs through Sunday in Thibodaux, La.

"How can you go wrong surrounding yourself with the Manning family?" Tony McCarron said in an interview with the

Tuscaloosa bureau last month. "Archie Manning is a legend in the NFL and college football. (Peyton and Eli) are two of the best role models you could ever ask for. Guys that have never been in trouble, done it the right way.

"You never see them in the newspaper for something they're not supposed to be doing. Well-spoken, educated, great guys. If I got to pick a role model for my son to be around, those are two of them. Anything to do with that family that they want my kid apart of, I'm a huge fan of it."

Among the group of college quarterbacks, who will work with more than 1,200, high-school-aged campers, are Southern Cal's Matt Barkley, Florida State's E.J. Manuel, LSU's Zach Mettenberger, Georgia's Aaron Murray, South Carolina's Conner Shaw, Ole Miss' Bo Wallace, Arkansas' Tyler Wilson and Tennessee's Tyler Bray.

The No. 1 pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, Andrew Luck, was in attendance for last year's no-nonsense, offense-focused camp.

"We don't even do pictures, we don't have a swimming party," Cooper Manning said in an interview Wednesday on WNSP Radio. "It is a straight football camp. No helmets, no pads. Just sweating and working on fundamentals and those guys are engaged."

Tony McCarron said he noticed a difference in AJ's off-the-field demeanor after last year's camp.

"He wants to be a positive role model for every kid he meets," Tony said. "I tell him all the time, 'You can meet 500 kids after a game and you probably won't remember two or three of them, but I promise you all 500 are going to remember you.'

"That's what you got to take away from that. You're going to make a huge difference in people's lives even when you don't mean to because of the position you're in."

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