Bruce Gradkowski is preparing to open his second season calling plays for the St. Louis Battlehawks, and the former NFL quarterback said it helps to have AJ McCarron on the receiving end of his instructions.
McCarron led the XFL in completion percentage, touchdown passes and passing-efficiency rating last season with the Battlehawks in his return to football, and the former Alabama All-American was granted an early release from his contract with the Cincinnati Bengals so he could come back for a second season with St. Louis.
“Having AJ around helps a ton,” Gradkowski said on Tuesday. “He is a master of the details – almost too much at times. I have to push him out of the office, like, ‘OK, bro, go get some sleep. Go get some rest. Don’t you have a wife and three boys to go call and Facetime?’
“But that’s what I love about AJ — and I respect it so much — is how he approaches the game. He’s had a lot of success in the NFL. He’s played a while there, and to come to us in the UFL and to approach it the right way and be the right teammate, be the right leader. And we’re all continuing to learn and grow, and I think he takes that approach as well. So it’s been fun because he helps detail things up, and he’s got great knowledge of football in general. And I won’t be surprised when he’s coaching one day.”
Since last season, the XFL merged with the USFL, with each league contributing four of its eight franchises to form the United Football League, which launches its inaugural season on Saturday.
The Battlehawks play the Michigan Panthers at 3 p.m. CDT Saturday at Ford Field in Detroit. FOX will televise the game.
Michigan posted a 4-6 record last season, which tied for the top spot in the USFL North, and the Panthers lost in the semifinals of the league playoffs. Among Michigan’s returning players is linebacker Frank Ginda, who was the USFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2023.
“Going into Week 1, you never know what to expect,” McCarron said. “Listen, they’re a talented group on defense. I guess they have the USFL Defensive Player of the Year at linebacker, they’re big up front, good secondary. Listen, you really have to adjust on the fly as the game goes on to what they’re doing and their calls.
“Really, it’s just about us, focusing on our job, doing what we’re supposed to, being in the right spot, communication being good and then just going out and playing and then kind of adjusting from there. I’m excited about the matchup and excited to be at Ford Field and play again.”
The Battlehawks posted a 7-3 record last season, return key components throughout the offense and boast a beefed-up defense.
“I told the guys I’ve been a part of some great teams that when we first started it seemed like we weren’t going to be great,” McCarron said, “and everybody bought in, we played well together as a team and so we had successful years. And I’ve been a part of teams that had a ton of talent, and we didn’t live up to expectations. It’s great to have so many guys back, but it’s a different year. We can’t worry about what we did last year.
“You really got to focus on the process and what it takes to achieve your ultimate goal. And then it’s always tough to see how other teams are going to play us. You never know, especially going into the first game. You just don’t know how teams are going to play, which is always the toughest week, especially with a new league. We just got to use our tools in the toolbox and adapt as the game goes on and just do our jobs.”
The concept is much the same for any extra incentive the Battlehawks might gain by having the United Football League Championship Game already scheduled for St. Louis on June 16.
“It’s great that it’s in St. Louis,” McCarron said. “But listen, we can’t worry about that. It’s all about the process and what it takes to get to that point. Everybody’s ultimate goal when you start the year is to win a championship. But you got to win each day and take the day-by-day steps and process to it, and then if you do everything you’re supposed to do, you can win each day, and then you have a chance to be there in the end.
“That’s the ultimate goal, but we got to worry about winning practice today and getting better, and then as the season goes on, if we do everything we’re supposed to do, we should have a chance.”
Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.