Alabama

AJ McCarron sustains ankle injury in return to Alabama

Published

2 years ago

May 11, 2024

AJ McCarron sustains ankle injury in return to Alabama

With 40 seconds to play on Saturday, St. Louis outside linebacker Chris Garrett blocked a punt by Birmingham’s Drue Chrisman to give the Battlehawks the football at the Stallions 47-yard line trailing by four points.

That set the stage for the kind of comeback victory that St. Louis quarterback AJ McCarron has become accustomed to delivering since joining the Battlehawks last season.

And adding electricity to the storyline was the United Football League game’s location – Protective Stadium in Birmingham. A former All-American and national-championship quarterback at Alabama, McCarron also was a prep star at St. Paul’s Episcopal in Mobile, and Saturday’s United Football League game was his first action in his home state since the Kick Six Iron Bowl in 2013.

But about seven minutes of game time before the blocked punt, McCarron had walked to the sideline and told the St. Louis coaches: “Hey, my ankle’s broken.”

Despite his injury proclamation, McCarron did not miss a snap. But he couldn’t deliver the dramatic game-winning drive either as Birmingham stayed undefeated 30-26 victory.

McCarron did not speak at St. Louis’ postgame press conference, as he usually does, as the Battlehawks said he was receiving treatment. Coach Anthony Becht did not provide an update on the quarterback during his postgame remarks.

“I know he wanted to deliver today,” Becht said, “and we just came up short. …

“He’s been doing it his whole life. He’s played in front of 100-plus thousand fans. He can deal with 10 or 12 (thousand), and most of them were cheering for him. That’s good, you know? I know he wanted this one. I know he wanted to bring this one home.”

McCarron’s return to Alabama was used as a marketing tool by the UFL, and with a reported attendance of 14,056, Birmingham had its biggest crowd of the season.

About two hours after the game ended, a statement from St. Louis said McCarron had sustained a left ankle injury and would undergo further evaluation.

McCarron had just completed a third-and-8 pass to wide receiver Hakeem Butler for a 15-yard gain to the Birmingham 22-yard line when he was taken down by Stallions nose tackle Carlos Davis on an incompletion.

Davis hit McCarron in the shins, then rolled the QB over holding his legs and got a roughing-the-passer penalty. St. Louis running back Jacob Saylors scored on a 7-yard run on the next snap to give the Battlehawks a 26-23 lead with 7:43 to play.

McCarron made his ankle announcement after the conversion try and went into the sideline medical tent.

After a 40-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Adrian Martinez to wide receiver Kelvin Austin Jr. allowed Birmingham to take a 4-point lead with 5:23 remaining, an 8-yard loss on a sack, an 8-yard run by Saylors and an incompletion on a long pass gave the Battlehawks their first three-and-out since the opening possession. St. Louis punted with 3:10 remaining.

But Garrett’s blocked punt gave the Battlehawks an opportunity to pin the first loss of the season on Birmingham. A 7-yard completion to Saylors was followed by a run for 1 gain by McCarron as the quarterback somehow eluded a sack. But with St. Louis out of timeouts, the next snap had to be a spike to stop the clock.

A fourth-down throw to wide receiver Jahcour Person was broken up by linebacker Kyahva Tezino with 11 seconds left to seal the Stallions’ victory.

McCarron finished the game 19-of-32 passing for 161 yards with one touchdown and one interception. He ran for 24 yards on two carries, and his scrambling allowed him to throw an 8-yard touchdown pass to Saylors as the Battlehawks took a 20-17 lead with 6:17 left in the third quarter.

The Battlehawks face the D.C. Defenders at 11 a.m. May 19 at the Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis. ABC will televise the game.

At 5-2, St. Louis will be at least tied for the XFL Conference lead after the United Football League’s Week 7 games are completed. But it remains to be seen if the Battlehawks will have their starting quarterback against D.C.

A fan cheers for quarterback AJ McCarron and the St. Louis Battlehawks during a United Football League game against the Birmingham Stallions on May 11, 2024, at Protective Stadium in Birmingham.(Photo by Butch Dill/UFL/Getty Images)

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.

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Alabama

Alabama AHSAA softball key dates and top teams approaching the 2026 playoffs

Published

13 minutes ago

April 20, 2026

Press Room

Alabama AHSAA softball key dates and top teams approaching the 2026 playoffs originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Alabama’s AHSAA softball playoffs are just around the corner with three of the state’s top teams ranked in the national Top 15.

The No. 5 Orange Beach [AL] Makos, No. 10 Thompson [Alabaster, AL] Warriors, and No. 15 Wetumpka [AL] Indians are all ranked in the most recent edition of the MaxPreps Top 50 with the start of Alabama’s postseason less than two weeks away.

Orange Beach was previously ranked No. 1 before losing to the South Warren [Bowling Green, KY] Spartans last week. Both teams were undefeated going into the contest, and the Barbers Hill [Mt. Belvieu, TX] Eagles took the Makos’ place at the top of the rankings following the loss.

WATCH: ALABAMA AHSAA SOFTBALL ON THE NFHS NETWORK

Key dates for the Alabama AHSAA softball playoffs

DATE	PLAYOFF DEADLINES
5/1-5/26 Advertisement	Area Tournaments
5/11-14/26	Regional Tournaments
5/18-22/26	State Tournaments Advertisement

National Top 50 contenders by classification

Alabama’s three nationally-ranked teams all compete in different classifications.

Class 7A

The Thompson Warriors are 34-1-2, and they compete in the AHSAA’s top-level Class 7A ranks. The team’s only loss is to the No. 15 Wetumpka Indians in a 3-2 setback on April 3.

Class 6A

Wetumpka is 34-5, and as noted above, they are the only team to beat Thompson so far.

Class 4A

Orange Beach is the state’s top-ranked team despite competing at the AHSAA’s Class 4A level. Their loss to South Warren of Kentucky in a 6-1 setback on April 9 ended a 45-game win streak at the time. The Makos had only allowed 25 runs all season prior to the relative outburst by the Spartans.

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Alabama

Alabama edge to pattern his game after 2-time Super Bowl Champ

Published

12 hours ago

April 19, 2026

Press Room

Alabama edge to pattern his game after 2-time Super Bowl Champ

Photo comes via Rodger Champion of Alabama athletics

How electric could Alabama football be on defense this season?

Alabama edge updates development of 4-star inside linebacker

The answer comes down to how many players Kane Wommack can produce to affect opposing quarterbacks in the pocket.

He returns Yhonzae Pierre, a fourth-year edge rusher, following a season where he collected eight sacks (team-high), 14.5 tackles for loss (team-high), nine quarterback hurries (team-high), and three forced fumbles. Pierre will draw much attention from offensive coaches; however, the Crimson Tide has a sophomore ready to help him on the outside.

Justin Hill, a former four-star from Cincinnati, Ohio, has made it his mission to become a complete pass rusher.

Alabama edge Justin Hill (#8) is modeling his game after a former two-time Suer Bowl Champion.

3/25/25 MFB Spring Practice
Alabama Linebacker Justin Hill (8)
Photo by Kent Gidley

He provided some excitement in 15 games last year, posting 10 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, and a pass breakup.

Former 4-star edge “will stand out” at Alabama in 2026 season, per Yhonzae Pierre

Who is Justin Hill modeling his game after?

The 6-foot-3, 244-pounder had a good spring, and the coaching staff looks at him as someone that brings speed, power, and edge-bending abilities to harass quarterbacks. Hill mentioned to reporters after A-Day that he wants to ‘go through’ quarterbacks in generating pressure.

He also wants to pattern his game after a former two-time Super Bowl Champion.

Hill detailed the former two-time Butkus Award winner he’s emulating.

“I am watching guys like Von Miller,” Hill said. “I’m watching a lot of speed to power guys.”

Hill stated Nik Bonitto of the Denver Broncos as another National Football League pass rusher he is studying. Bonitto has 37 sacks and 44 tackles for loss in four seasons with the Broncos – including a career-high 14 sacks in 2025.

Miller is one of the greatest pass rushers in the history of the league. He has 138.5 career sacks, including seven seasons with 10-plus sacks.

Miller has two Super Bowl rings, a Super Bowl Most Valuable Player honor, three first-team All-Pro honors, eight Pro Bowl nods, and is on the NFL’s 2010 All-Decade Team.

Hill learned to ‘cut it loose’ as an edge rusher from Pierre, so the combination of that and studying film on Miller should prepare him to be a force in the fall.

*Get the BEST Alabama football insider information, message board access, and recruiting coverage today! SIGN UP HERE to unlock our subscriber-only content!*

Stephen M. Smith is a team writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.

Stephen Smith is a 2015 graduate of the University of Alabama.
He is a seasoned writer that has covered Alabama football for Touchdown Alabama Magazine since 2009. Smith has extensive knowledge within the program, which has made him among the most respected journalist in his field. Throughout his career, Smith has been featured on ESPN and several other marquee outlets as an analyst.

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Alabama

YMCA of South Alabama holds Healthy Kids Day in Spanish Fort

Published

1 day ago

April 19, 2026

Press Room

YMCA of South Alabama holds Healthy Kids Day in Spanish Fort

SPANISH FORT, Ala. (WALA) – The YMCA of South Alabama held a Healthy Kids Day at Spanish Fort Town Center Park.

Saturday’s event featured games and demonstrations, along with interactive activities featuring police and fire vehicles.

“I think just seeing so many organizations come together that serve kids, and just seeing kids have fun,” said Gwen Summer, CEO of the YMCA of South Alabama.

Marissa Rennaker, director of development for the YMCA of South Alabama, said the event exposed children to new activities.

“I think it’s been seeing all the kids laugh and try different things that they probably haven’t tried before,” Rennaker said. “There was a big group doing pickleball and yoga. We had ballet earlier, so just getting them out and exposed to things, I think it’s been great.”

The event was designed to kick off a healthy, active summer.

The YMCA of South Alabama is located at 27080 Pollard Road in Daphne.

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