How a failed comeback vs. Auburn set the foundations for Ala. vs. LSU 2012

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Nearly two years before tears streamed down his face after leading Alabama to the most improbable victory of his career, AJ McCarron walked down the middle of an empty Paul W. Bryant Drive. His father, Tony, had an arm on his shoulder.

A couple of hours earlier, McCarron was under center with the game on the line. All the momentum was on the other side of the field, as Auburn had come back from a 24-0 deficit to lead by a point with 51 seconds to play. Alabama’s starting quarterback Greg McElroy was down and out with a concussion, leaving it on McCarron’s shoulders to muster up a miracle in the first game-on-the-line action of his Crimson Tide career.

The possession started and finished at Alabama’s 19-yard line. McCarron threw four incomplete passes and the game was over.

About halfway between Bryant-Denny Stadium and the Mal M. Moore Athletic Complex -- a walk the McCarrons make after every home game -- Tony finally broached the subject. He started by expressing sympathy about the almost-impossible situation in which his son was placed.

AJ’s response caught him off guard.

“He looked at me and grinned,” Tony said. “He said, ‘that was the best damn 51 seconds of my life … Just the thought of being able to bring them back.”

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