Like very few others, Walter Lewis understands the feeling.
“Being an Alabama quarterback…being part of that legacy…is a great honor,” said Lewis, who played for the Crimson Tide from 1980-83. “But it’s also a great responsibility. You feel the responsibility to live up to the standards set by all those guys who came before you.”
Lewis, a native of Brewton, became the first African-American starting quarterback in Alabama history. After splitting time at the position during the SEC championship season of 1981, Lewis manned the controls for the end of the Paul “Bear” Bryant era in 1982 and the beginning of the Ray Perkins era in 1983, negotiating the difficult transition from the wishbone to the pro set and setting a single-season school record for total offense (2,329 yards) as a senior.
So Lewis can speak with authority about the mission facing sophomore A.J. McCarron as he leads second-ranked Alabama against top-ranked LSU in the BCS Championship Game.
“A.J. has a tremendous opportunity to make a statement,” said Lewis, who now works in the securities business in Birmingham. “He. has the opportunity to stitch himself into the history books, to become a staple in the great Alabama tradition.”
After all, among the venerated line of young men who have played quarterback for the Crimson Tide, only a smaller, elite subset have been able to lead Bama to a national championship.
“This is what you play the game for at Alabama…to reach games like this,” he said. “This is the sort of platform that either makes or breaks a quarterback.”
Like many others, Lewis has been impressed with McCarron’s progress in his first year as the starter, marveling at his 66.7 completion percentage and his sterling TD/interception ratio (16/5).
“It’s been fun watching him grow stronger and stronger this season,” Lewis said. “He has all the tools and he’s maturing into an outstanding leader. You can really see him growing into the position.”
During a few brief encounters with the latest man to follow in his footsteps, Lewis was struck by the weight of one powerful intangible.
“He has a great heart,” Lewis said. “A very tender heart. That to me is a very key thing, in the way he relates to the players and also how he handles himself in life. I believe it’s a big part of his success. Plus, he couples that great heart with tremendous intensity. You can watch him and see how much he wants to win. He plays with emotion, plays with passion, and that goes back to his heart.”
