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The world has changed quite a bit since AJ McCarron led Alabama football to a national championship in 2012. Nick Saban is no longer the head coach of the Crimson Tide, players are being paid (over the table), and social media absolutely dominates the lives of today’s generation of college athletes. 

It’s no secret that things are different now, which is exactly what McCarron was explaining during a recent episode of ‘McCready and Siskey,’ only he went a bit more scorched-earth with his explanation of how today’s era is different, and not in a good way.

“The standard that everybody was used to for so long after Alabama fans went through a bunch of hell leading up to those glorious years, I think it’s definitely a different era,” McCarron explained. “I don’t think you’ll see the same standard from discipline, just things that the team seems to do. It’s a new day and age.” 

“Everybody’s worried about fu–ing TikTok and having a reel and being on highlights for their personal self and personal gain, and how much money they can get from NIL. We just didn’t have that s–t back then. It was a team sport. You came together as a team because you had one common goal, because you knew that’s how you were going to make your money, was by winning.”

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AJ McCarron is of the belief today’s Alabama players are more worried about TikTok and NIL than winning, which is a fair argument. (Photo by Al Tielemans /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)(Set Number: X157194 TK1 R6 F14 )

While we have to take McCarron’s opinion here with at least a touch of salt, it’s hard to argue his point.

For the first time in a decade, Alabama football looks human. Losing the greatest coach in the history of college football in Saban to retirement during the offseason plays an incomprehensible role in the Tide’s 5-2 start to the year. But, as McCarron eloquently put it, this new generation and culture where players are worried about NIL deals and followers is having an impact as well.

McCarron may have been talking about Alabama football in particular, but his point can apply to practically every Division I football team in America.