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AJ McCarron is 36-4 as Alabama's starting quarterback and has led the Crimson Tide to two national championships. (Associated Press)
The weeks and months leading up to the NFL draft are an exercise in finding faults. As former Florida Heisman Trophy winner and New Orleans Saints quarterback Danny Wuerffel put it, "it's like everybody's job in the world is finding what's wrong with you."
For Alabama quarterback and 2013 Heisman runner-up AJ McCarron, the perceived faults have been well-documented. His talent is difficult to project because he had such a good supporting cast, some say. Others question his arm strength. Some still call him a "game manager."
Wuerffel, who led Florida to four SEC titles and one national championship in 1993-96, said there's another label that applies to McCarron that may trump all that, however -- winner.
Danny Wuerffel, who won the 1996 Heisman Trophy at Florida, is now director of Atlanta-based Desire Street Ministries. (Associated Press)
"Alabama is going to be the really solid defense, running and ball control and take a few shots here and there. You're not going to see those big numbers at quarterback," said Wuerffel, the 1996 Heisman winner. "But there's a lot of weight that's put onto winning, and I think when you can be labeled a winner - winning those big games - that carries a lot of weight. He's got the tools to do it and he's got the history of winning."
McCarron was 36-4 as a starter at Alabama and led the Crimson Tide to two national championships as the starting quarterback. He's projected to go somewhere between the second and fourth rounds of the draft, which will be held May 8-10.
"My sense is as long as you get in the first half of the draft, there's a good chance that at some point, you're going to get a shot," said Wuerffel, who will be in McCarron's hometown of Mobile on Thursday to promote a partnership between his Desire Street Ministries and Mobile-based Trinity Family Ministries. "So whether you're a top-five pick or a second-round pick, the difference really is money. You're probably going to get a shot either way, and that's what you're hoping for."