ALAMEDA — In a corner of the Raiders locker room, the stalls of AJ McCarron and Brandon LaFell sit side by side, two players who share the connection of having reached the absolute pinnacle of their sport — only to have everything come crashing down in a 1-7 season for the Raiders under Jon Gruden.
McCarron, 28, was the on-field leader of an Alabama team that went 36-4 in games he started with back-to-back BCS national championships under Nick Saban.
LaFell, 32, won a BCS title with LSU in 2007 and a Super Bowl championship following the 2014 season with the New England Patriots, catching a touchdown pass from Tom Brady to open the scoring in a 28-24 win over the Seattle Seahawks.