AJ McCarron Talks Katherine Webb, Coach Saban, and His Super Bowl Pick

He likes Denver on Sunday.

This week, we joined AXE Hair and its new spokesman, Alabama quarterback AJ McCarron, in New York, where celebrity stylist Amy Komorowski used AXE Hair’s new line of gels to transform AJ’s look, while a bunch of reporters looked on (and ate banana and Nutella breakfast burritos, because obviously). Afterwards, we had a few minutes to chat with AJ about football, how an Alabama boy became a Yankees fan, and – of course – Katherine Webb.

Do you like your new haircut?

I do, I love it. I think that’s one of the things I was looking forward to the most – being a part of the AXE Hair team and knowing all the new gels they were coming out with. I felt like it was a great company to be a part of and hopefully I can be a good representative for them.

Did you have a favorite NFL team growing up?

I never really watched NFL football. That was just me, I played sports my whole life so when I got out of playing ‘em I tried to stay away from watching ‘em.

Any thoughts on where you hope to be playing next year?

I have no clue. I just want an opportunity and a chance to play football again. So whatever happens, happens.

Your girlfriend Katherine Webb has received a lot of media attention the last few months. How has she handled the national spotlight?

I mean, it’s different, just having a relationship in the public view at all times, and you can’t go out to eat or do something. But I feel like she’s handled it great. She’s a beautiful person on the outside, but a lot better person on the inside. She’s my best friend, and a person I love hanging out with, so I feel like we both handle it really well and kind of stay out of the spotlight in a bad way.

Photo: Getty Images | Licensed to Alpha Media Group 2014

What do you think about the lack of Alabama quarterbacks in the NFL in the last few years? Is that a cycle that you want to break?

Well, definitely. I don’t know, I guess it just hasn’t worked out for everybody, but I’m definitely looking forward to a new chapter and a new part of my life.

Looking back, is there a particular game or a victory as a college player that stands out for you?

Definitely the first National Championship. Losing to LSU and then coming back and playing them in New Orleans will always be a special moment for me. And for my family, any time you win a championship for the first time it’s always a special moment, and something we’ll always cherish.

Despite having grown up in the South, you’re a Yankees fan. How did that happen?

Well, I always wanted to be different from my family. They were Alabama fans when it came to football; I was a Miami Hurricanes fan. Everybody down South kind of roots for the Braves. I didn’t want to root for the Braves, so I chose the New York Yankees.

How has your close relationship with Coach Saban shaped you as a player?

I think it’s done wonders for me. The 18-year-old that I was when I came into college is a lot different than the 23-year-old I am now. And a lot of it is due to Coach Saban and the things he taught me about life. Everybody sees the football aspect of things, but the man I am off the field and how I carry myself, and, you know, never bring the spotlight on your family’s name, or being a representative of AXE… I always want to be a good representative for them and never bring a bad spotlight on them either, so I just always try to carry myself in a first-class manner.

Who are some of your football idols?

I love Brett Favre. I just loved the way he played the game and he always played it like every game was his last. Always playing through injuries was something really cool to me and something I’ve always tried to do. No matter what was hurting, I’ve always tried to play through it. I just loved the way he played the game of football.

And of course we have to ask, who do you like in the Super Bowl this weekend?

Well, you know, it’s two great teams, it’s two great coaches, two great organizations. But I definitely gotta pull for the Broncos, because I signed with the same agency as [Broncos wide receiver] Eric Decker, with Five-Star Agency, and then with both of us being a part of the AXE Hair Team, it’s definitely cool to kind of be a part of two teams together, working together, so I definitely gotta pull for him to hopefully win.