Alabama QB AJ McCarron played half the season with injured ribs

Alabama quarterback AJ McCarron said he played six games last season with injured ribs. (Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

Alabama quarterback AJ McCarron said he played the last six games of the season with injured ribs.

McCarron says he injured his ribs during a 38-7 victory against Mississippi State on Oct. 27 when he was sacked. Alabama was winning 24-0 at the time and McCarron did not play in the fourth quarter of the game. He was limited in practice the following week.

“I had three ribs come out of place,” McCarron told ESPN.com. “They kept popping in and out of place, the one at the top, and it was just a nagging pain the whole time. I couldn’t throw much during the week for a long time, really almost up to the bowl game. I was hurting really bad through the week, and it just took a long time for those ribs to heal.”

McCarron still led the Crimson Tide to their second consecutive national championship this season, throwing four touchdown passes in a 42-14 rout over Notre Dame in the BCS Championship game.