TUSCALOOSA, Alabama --

Billy Nicholas

remembers the night he almost threw fists at

Tony McCarron

.

A heated argument between coach and father centered on the future of then-sixth-grader

AJ McCarron

, Tony's son.

Nicholas, AJ's park ball coach, had already identified the boy's star potential.

"I was extremely hard on him, extremely hard to the point where his daddy was ready to take him off the team," Nicholas said. "... He thought I was mistreating his son. I told him, 'Your son's going to play on a different stage than the rest of these kids. He's going to be held to a different standard, and as soon as he learns that the better off he's going to be. Everybody's looking to him to achieve this and achieve that.

"'Failure's not going to be an option for AJ.'"

AJ began to develop his stone-cold glare on the football fields of Mobile. It began at the age of 7 when AJ stepped on a park ballfield.

Nicholas vividly recalls the first 30 seconds AJ held the football, then stepped back to launch a 40-yard pass to another coach.

"I won't ever forget it," Nicholas said. "When we were having drills the first day I ever coached AJ, the assistant coach looked at me and said, 'This kid's going to play for Alabama.' I thought that was the silliest thing I had ever heard. After a couple of days, I realized this kid's got something that most kids don't."

The rest of Mobile realized AJ's talents as he dominated the park ballfields, then guided his middle school to a pair of championships en route to joining the varsity at St. Paul's, where some labeled him the savior of the football team.

A few games into his freshman season, he was named the starter, but it wasn't all touchdowns and high-fives.

"A lot of the older kids at the high school resented him," Nicholas said. "They thought because of who he was, he was getting a free ride and what have you. There's nasty parents out there, especially at a prominent private high school like that. ...The parents of older juniors and seniors didn't like him."

AJ was one of those rare talents, a freshman that played three varsity sports. One night, he was confronted with his deepest emotions playing as a freshman for the varsity basketball team.

"He actually got booed as he was announced to come out onto the (home) court," Nicholas said. "Later that night, he came to the ballpark to talk to me. He wanted to leave St. Paul's."

Nicholas reminded him of the blowout he had with AJ's father and managed to talk him out of leaving St. Paul's, where he started his final three seasons with plenty of happy moments.

During that span, AJ threw for 6,066 yards, 66 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He also led St. Paul's to the Class 5A state championship as a junior.

"I said it's going to happen the next two or three years," Nicholas said. "It's going to happen in college, and if he ever plays beyond that, it's going to happen there. Once you have a gift like this, it comes with responsibility. It comes with a little bit of heartache, too."

AJ matured into a fearless competitor during those years and one of the nation's most sought-after quarterback recruits.

A stiff backbone is what helped him stand up to 6-foot-2, 282-pound Florida defensive tackle

Dominique Easley

after absorbing a personal-foul hit last week.

It might explain why the 6-foot-4, 210-pounder doesn't hesitate to throw a pass that appears more fastball than football through a gauntlet of traffic. One example was a touchdown to

Michael Williams

at Penn State.

And it's why he didn't flinch at a wicked right hand to his rear end last year from

Nick Saban

. That moment is now portrayed as one of Saban's classic wraths caught on video after the coach's objection to AJ's pass into coverage.

"I think everybody needs to have a certain kind of psychological disposition to play any position," Saban said. "... I think one of the things that is most important at quarterback is that your ego doesn't get ahead of your decision making. ... AJ has done a really good job of managing that. ... AJ has gotten in a pretty good place psychologically for his position. I think it's important that he can stay there."

Alabama doesn't let its quarterbacks get tackled at practice, but being chased around by the Crimson Tide's fearsome linebackers certainly helps strengthen the mentality.

In other words, it only adds to AJ's growing confidence.

"In practice, I feel once you go against

Courtney Upshaw

and

Dont'a

(

Hightower

) on the edge every day, I mean, those guys are two great pass rushers," nose guard

Josh Chapman

said. "Courtney being out there, a lot of guys feel Courtney. I mean, you've got him in your face every day, man, you go onto the field and nobody else."

Upshaw said he cautioned AJ to get away from Easley, and credited offensive left tackle

Barrett Jones

with running "to the rescue."

Upshaw was asked if AJ ever appears to get intimidated?

"No, not AJ," Upshaw said. "When we are out there jumping around talking noise to him (at practice), he is talking back. So, I knew right when he was complaining to the ref that he was going to say something to him, but I didn't think he was going to walk up to the guy."

AJ has even deflected criticism of his play. Some critics harp on the lack of a deep threat. Only five of Alabama's 20 longest plays have been passes. The two longest passes have gone to running backs Trent Richardson (a 61-yard touchdown) and Eddie Lacy (a 48-yard reception).

AJ's numbers are similar to former quarterback

Greg McElroy

's.

Last season through five games, McElroy had completed 72 of 103 passes for 983 yards, seven touchdowns and one interception. AJ through the first five games is 75-of-120 passing for 919 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions.

"He's done a good job of managing the game in both road games, in some pretty tough circumstances and environments, and I think the big thing is he is kind of making good decisions," Saban said. "We're not turning the ball over. We haven't turned the ball over for several games now, not trying to put (the football) places that it shouldn't be. ... I've been really pleased with the way that AJ has improved and, hopefully, he'll continue to improve throughout the season and we will be a little bit more explosive, hopefully, down the field and making some plays in the passing game."

In Gainesville, Florida, AJ was caught on camera embracing Jones after a hard-fought win. It was a moment of true celebration, admiration and respect AJ shared with his teammates - and a rare chance to see his compassionate side.

"It was special," Jones said of the win. "It was a special experience, I'd be lying if I didn't say that -- to win like that in The Swamp."



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