Former Alabama Crimson Tide and NFL quarterback A. J. McCarron will attempt to enter politics, announcing his candidacy for lieutenant governor. McCarron, a Mobile native, will run as a Republican candidate. “Alabama’s conservative and cultural values are under attack from every direction,” McCarron said in his announcement. “That’s why Charlie Kirk’s assassination affected so many of us so deeply. His example convinced me to get off of the sidelines, get into the game, and stand tall for our conservative beliefs, so today, I’m announcing my candidacy for Lieutenant Governor of Alabama,” he added. “When Coach Saban recruited me to play quarterback for the University of Alabama, he taught me the principles of being a leader, and together we won back to back national championships. And playing in the NFL reinforced the importance of achieving goals bigger than ourselves,” the former national champion said. “My roots run deep in Alabama, and with my football career behind me, Katherine and I are raising our boys here, instilling in them our deep Christian faith and teaching them the fundamental morals that make this state so special,” McCarron continued. Just in: Former Alabama Star QB A.J. McCarron has announced he is officially running for Lieutenant Governor of Alabama in 2026 pic.twitter.com/4a5c7iFBE0 — The Calvin Coolidge Project (@TheCalvinCooli1) October 23, 2025 AL.com shared more: McCarron noted that he endorsed President Trump during Trump’s first campaign. He said as lieutenant governor he would work with Sen. Tommy Tuberville, the former Auburn coach and frontrunner in the governor’s race. “While playing for the Cincinnati Bengals, I endorsed President Trump in 2016 because he was an outsider candidate,” McCarron said. “And when Coach Tuberville is governor, I’ll be the quarterback who helps pass his conservative, outsider agenda. Alabama is my home. It’s made me who I am, and I feel led from above to give back to the state that has given me so much.” The primary is May 19, 2026. An All-State football and baseball player at St. Paul’s Episcopal School in Mobile, McCarron was a member of three Alabama teams that won the BCS national championship. He served as the Crimson Tide’s starting quarterback for the title teams for the 2011 and 2012 seasons. McCarron won the Maxwell Award as the outstanding college player of the 2013 season, when he also was the runner-up in the balloting for the Heisman Trophy. McCarron will join a race that includes Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen, Alabama Agriculture Commissioner Rick Pate, Opelika pastor Dean Odle, and commercial realtor Nicole Wadsworth. Former Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill is also considering a run for the position. : https://t.co/Gkfg9uPTMP Former Alabama national championship-winning quarterback AJ McCarron on Thursday announced he is running for statewide office. pic.twitter.com/oLuI255aY2 — AL.com (@aldotcom) October 23, 2025 WSFA noted: In 2016, McCarron publicly endorsed Donald Trump for president and “credits the 45th and 47th president with inspiring him to run for elected office,” a press release from his campaign said. He currently works as a college football analyst and co-owns McCarron Real Estate with his wife, Katherine Webb McCarron, who won Miss Alabama USA in 2012. They live in Mobile and have three sons. “The Montgomery insiders and career politicians have had their chance. It’s time for political newcomers and outsider candidates like me to lead the battle,” he said. Watch the full announcement: