AJ McCarron served as the starting quarterback for the second and third of coach Nick Saban’s six national-championship teams at Alabama.

In January, Saban stepped down after 17 seasons leading the Crimson Tide, giving him time for retiree pursuits such as golf.

“It’s awesome,” McCarron said on Friday about Saban’s retirement. “I sent him a text when it was all going down and just told him how proud I was of him. What an absolute run it was. It’s time for him to go enjoy his grandkids, enjoy life, play some golf.

“And I told him I’m coming, as soon as this season’s over with and get a little break, I’m coming to whup his ass in some golf and get some of that NIL money that I missed out on. He laughed and texted back that he needed some strokes if we were going to play.

“But I’m happy as hell for coach. He deserves it, and it’s awesome to see him enjoy life and be a granddad.”

McCarron will have to wait to play golf with Saban because the quarterback is returning to the St. Louis Battlehawks for a second season.

After McCarron suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during an Atlanta Falcons’ preseason game on Aug. 21, 2021, he was out of football until joining the Battlehawks for the XFL’s return season one year ago.

McCarron led the XFL in touchdown passes, completion percentage and passing-efficiency rating, then returned to his original NFL team, the Cincinnati Bengals, for the 2023 season.

At McCarron’s request, the Bengals released the quarterback on Wednesday, clearing the way for his return to St. Louis, which was announced on Friday.

St. Louis was among four XFL franchises that joined four USFL franchises to form the United Football League. UFL teams start training camp in eight days, and the inaugural season kicks off on March 30.

McCarron said he had an inkling before Alabama’s 2023 campaign kicked off that it could be Saban’s last season at the helm for the Crimson Tide.

“Some people that I do business with that do business with him as well had told me before the season started that it could possibly be his last year,” McCarron said. “He also has a love and interest in cars like myself. I went to the Texas game and was sitting back there in the locker room, and I was just going to say hey to him, and we sat down for probably 15 minutes while recruits are outside of the door waiting. We sat in there and just talked about life and cars and the Mercedes dealerships he’s opening up down in Florida and the Ferrari dealership. He went and met the Enzo family and talked about all of that.”

An All-State football and baseball player at St. Paul’s Episcopal in Mobile, McCarron earned All-American recognition, won the Maxwell Award, finished as the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy and set school career records for passing yards and yards of total offense, among other marks, while at Alabama.

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