Dwayne Johnson is a busy man. And with the 2023 XFL season ongoing, he is busier than ever. This XFL season is only the league’s second, however, it is the first to fall under the ownership of the new regime. Dwayne Johnson recently became the owner of the minor football league along with RedBird Capital and Dany Garcia.
Fans of Dwayne Johnson are quite aware of just how much the wrestler-turned-actor loves American football. However, he is not the star of our discussion today. Instead, we’ll be talking about A.J. McCarron, an American football quarterback who is playing in XFL for St. Louis BattleHawks. While he previously played for a much bigger league, the NFL, the reason why he decided to switch to the XFL will have you all tear-eyed!
Dwayne Johnson Shares a Message for A.J. McCarron
Prior to the XFL, A.J. McCarron was a backup for the Cincinnati Bengals, Oakland Raiders, and Houston Texans. A switch to the XFL meant that McCarron would be paid a lot less as he would be playing in a minor football league. He stated that he could have tried out for the NFL, but his six-year-old son was one of the biggest reasons why he decided to go with the XFL. After a spectacular win against the Seattle Sea Dragons, McCarron opened up about why he chose the XFL and just how much he is enjoying playing in the league.
“My 6-year-old loves watching tape of me on YouTube. That’s a big reason I chose to return this way. I probably could’ve tried to come back with an NFL team and had a chance to probably make bigger money, but no one knows what the future holds. I’m enjoying this and it’s a great way to create some memories for me and my boys.”
Not only did McCarron’s words touch the hearts of the audience, but they also forced Dwayne Johnson to pen a heartfelt message in favor of the footballer. In his tweet, Johnson stated that McCarron taking less money just to create some memories with his children means a lot to him. We all know that Johnson is a family man who loves spending time with his daughters as we so often see him having an adorably elegant tea party with them! Therefore, McCarron’s love for his children certainly resonates with Johnson!
Takes less money signing with us over the @NFL because he wanted his little boys to see him play. Now he’s 2-0 and led his team to back to back exciting last minute wins. I’d say he’s creating some memories for his boys. AJ’s decision means a helluva lot to me, personally. #XFL https://t.co/AZG6EiIy9Z
— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) February 24, 2023
McCarron plays for the St. Louis Battlehawks who are having a great time this season with back-to-back wins. In week 1, the Battlehawks defeated the San Antonio Brahmas, 18-15. And in week 2, they defeated the Seattle Sea Dragons, 20-18. The next we will see of the team and McCarron is on week 3 where they’ll be battling it out on the field with D.C Defenders on March 5.
The Comeback is Special for A.J. McCarron
After the team’s recent win, McCarron talked to ESPN about how much he missed playing and how it was different from being a backup. He stated that while being a backup is a great living, playing on the field is much more special to him. When asked about what McCarron would tell his boys about special moments like this in his career, he replied,
“I think them watching daddy never give up. Ever since I came out of college I’ve been counted out a little bit. It’s just fun to come out here and play. I missed playing. Not always just being a backup, and that’s a great living, it really is and I absolutely love it, but I love playing. This is special and I can’t thank the XFL enough.”
McCarron tore his ACL during a match with the Falcons ahead of the 2021 season and had to sit the 2022 season out. However, the way McCarron is playing in the XFL now just goes on to say that he has not only healed from his injuries but has come back stronger than ever. Did the football world just find its new hero? McCarron doing definitely wonders on the field for Battlehawks, but he is most importantly doing it for his family. We are sure the boys are proud of their dad!
Source: Twitter | Dwayne Johnson
