Ex-Tide great AJ McCarron rips Thomas Castellanos for Alabama trash talk before FSU game

Former Alabama national champion AJ McCarron took serious issue with Thomas Castellanos' comments about the Week 1 game. | Matthew Emmons-Imagn Images

Those comments made by Florida State quarterback Thomas Castellanos about Alabama are not going to go away any time soon.

The former Boston College starter took aim at the Crimson Tide in an interview last month, and his remarks are still getting noticed, including by former Alabama national champion quarterback AJ McCarron.

“Where do you even start?” McCarron said on THE DYNASTY podcast.

“You’re going to a team that was 17th out of 17 teams in the ACC. You’re leaving a team and lost the starting job where you finished ninth in the ACC. Listen, I’m all for confidence, but this is stupidity.”

Castellanos was referring to Florida State’s season opener against Alabama when he said: “They don’t have Nick Saban to save them. I just don’t see them stopping me.”

The quarterback also bragged about his own production in the conference last season, noting that he “tore the ACC up by my damn self.”

His production at Boston College was noteworthy, but nothing is guaranteed about a Seminoles offense that was the fourth-worst in scoring nationally a year ago.

McCarron mentioned BC coach (and former Alabama offensive coordinator) Bill O’Brien as someone who could have perhaps prevented the quarterback from making those comments.

“Just ask if he still has a relationship, which I doubt he does because he yanked him from his starting job, but Bill O’Brien,” McCarron said. 

“Call him up. Ask Bill how Alabama is. What type of players they have. How they play the game. And let [O’Brien] tell you, ‘Hey Thomas, you might want to stay quiet on this one. Just go out and play.’”

McCarron speaks with some authority on Alabama matters, finishing his career as a three-time BCS national champion, and he is still the Tide’s historic leader in passing yards and is third with 77 touchdown passes.

Castellanos had 3,614 yards passing with 33 touchdowns and 19 interceptions while rushing for 1,307 yards and 14 touchdowns, a year after leading all FBS quarterbacks with 13 rushing scores the season before.

“You just added fuel to the fire,” McCarron said.

“Brother, I promise you, I wouldn’t want to be you the first game of the year. I don’t care how well you can run, how well you can throw it.

“Once you stand in that pocket and get hit a couple times -- that accuracy that dipped, that cost you the starting job -- you better find it quick this offseason and during that game, because it ain’t gonna be good.”

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