Consider it a bit of a shock, but the Maxwell Football Club always seems to go against the grain. Alabama quarterback AJ McCarron was named the Maxwell Award winner for the 2013 season, awarded to the top college football player in the country as determined by the Maxwell Football Club.
McCarron became the first player in Alabama’s storied football program history to win the Maxwell Award, considered one of the top individual honors in the game of college football. He edged out Heisman Trophy front-runner Jameis Winston of Florida State and Johnny Manziel of Texas A&M. Earlier in the evening Winston was named the Walter Camp Player of the Year and the Davey O’Brien Award winner. Oddly enough, the Walter Camp Foundation also named McCarron to their first team All-American team ahead of Winston, their player of the year.
Few people probably saw this one coming, although McCarron’s 2013 season is certainly not mediocre. the Maxwell Award has not generally been a solid predictor for the Heisman Trophy either. Only once in the last four years has the Maxwell Award winner gone on to win the Heisman Trophy. Winston is widely considered a runaway for the Heisman Trophy, so perhaps this bodes well for his Heisman outlook anyway.
McCarron is a Heisman finalists as well and will join Winston and Manziel in New York this weekend along with Northern Illinois quarterback Jordan Lynch, Boston College running back and Doak Walker Award winner Andre Johnson and Auburn running back Tre Mason.
Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te’o was named the Maxwell Award winner in 2012.