St. Louis Battlehawks coach Anthony Becht and six of his players took a break from training camp on Saturday to meet some of the XFL team’s supporters at a fan fest at the Armory in St. Louis.

The turnout made a positive impression on Battlehawks quarterback AJ McCarron.

“The atmosphere is unbelievable here,” McCarron said. “You can feel the passion that the fans have in this city, so it reminds me a lot of college. Alabama fans are passionate. I’m just excited – excited to get out on the field and win for the city.”

McCarron was the starting quarterback for the Alabama teams that won the BCS national championships for the 2011 and 2012 seasons. In 2013, he became the Crimson Tide’s all-time passing leader, won the Maxwell Award and the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award and finished second in the Heisman Trophy balloting.

After NFL stops with the Cincinnati Bengals, Buffalo Bills, Oakland Raiders, Houston Texans and Atlanta Falcons and recovered from a torn anterior cruciate ligament sustained in an NFL preseason game on Aug. 21, 2021, McCarron signed up for the XFL’s restart in 2023.

RELATED: AT SON’S REQUEST, AJ MCCARRON RETURNING TO PRO FOOTBALL

St. Louis is one of the five teams returning from the 2020 version of the XFL. The coronavirus pandemic put an end to the eight-team league’s season halfway through a 10-week schedule.

The XFL has returned with eight teams under new league ownership, including wrestler and actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.

The XFL is counting down to its first weekend of action Feb. 18 and 19, one week after the NFL’s Super Bowl LVII. But Battlehawks’ fans will have to wait until the fourth week of the season to see their second-edition XFL team on the field at the Dome at America’s Center.

St. Louis plays its first three games on the road:

· At the San Antonio Brahmas at 2 p.m. CST Feb. 19 (ABC)

· At the Seattle Sea Dragons at 8 p.m. Feb. 23 (in the league’s first Thursday night game on FX)

· At the D.C. Defenders at noon March 5 (FX)

The Battlehawks finally make it home on March 12, for a 3 p.m. game against the Arlington Renegades that will be televised by ESPN2.

In addition to Becht and McCarron, fans at Saturday’s event got to meet defensive back Jonathan Alexander, wide receiver Marcell Ateman, linebacker Travis Feeney, offensive lineman Steven Gonzalez and linebacker Lakiem Williams.

The XFL is working under a hub plan in 2023, with all the teams practicing in the Dallas-Fort Worth area in Texas but playing each game in the home team’s city.

The plan started with training camp, and the Battlehawks held their first practice on Jan. 14 at Vernon Newsom Stadium in Mansfield, Texas.

Before Alabama and the NFL, McCarron earned All-State honors in football and baseball at St. Paul’s Episcopal in Mobile and helped the Saints win the AHSAA Class 5A football championship in 2007.

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.