Former Alabama QB Greg McElroy Took Issue with AJ McCarron's a-Day Comments

Former Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy, who led the team to a national championship in 2009-10, took exception with the A-Day comments of former Alabama quarterback AJ McCarron, who led the team to a national championship in 2011-12 and 2012-13, and voiced his disappointment during a Monday radio interview on WJOX's The Opening Drive.

According to Andrew Gribble of AL.com, the tiff—and make no mistake, it is nothing more than that—began when McCarron deflected blame for the Tide's two-game losing streak at the end of last season, implying it was the younger players' fault.

"I felt like the captains, the older guys, we wanted it. We weren't complacent," said McCarron during an in-game interview with ESPN. "I think if you ask coaches or any of them, they'll tell you that. It takes a full team. We were young. We struggled at times."

To this line of thinking, McElroy, whom McCarron redshirted under during the championship season in 2009-10, said the following:

"

The reason being is because if guys are complacent, especially the younger guys, you refuse to allow that to happen. I didn't appreciate the way he came out and said that about his teammates. The season was over, it didn't go the way we wanted it to go and we're all disappointed with the outcome. That's the way he should have handled it.

"

McElroy can understand McCarron's disappointment.

Like his successor, he returned to school after winning a national championship, began the season ranked No. 1 in the country but failed to meet his ultimate expectations, losing three games en route to the 2011 Capital One Bowl. Unlike his successor, though, McElroy went out with a 49-7 victory over Michigan State, not a disappointing loss to Oklahoma (or whoever).

McElroy did cushion his criticism of McCarron, saying, "He was a big reason why this Alabama team has been so dominant." His comments didn't come from a place of dislike but a place of simple candor, which is something McElroy will need in his new role with the SEC Network.

Just as McCarron might need to be more accountable in his (hopeful) new role with an NFL organization.