A. J. McCarron: His Career In Sports

article researched and compiled
by Carrie Birdsong

Copyright: Photo

A. J. McCarron - ESPN

Born:  September 13^th, 1990

Height:  6 feet 3 inches

Weight: 220 pounds

Career Information:

1.  Position: Quarterback (#’s 5, 2, 4, 10)

2.  High School:  St. Paul’s Episcopal (Mobile, Alabama)

3.  College:  Alabama (2009 – 2013)

4.  NFL draft:  2014 (5^th round, 164^th overall pick)

Career History:

Teams

1.  Cincinnati Bengals            2014 – 2017

2.  Buffalo Bills                       2018^*

3.  Oakland Raiders               2018

4.  Houston Texans                 2019 – 2020

5   Atlanta Falcons                  2021

6.  St. Louis Battlehawks        2023

7.  Cincinnati Bengals             2023

8.  St. Louis Battlehawks        2024

*Offseason or practice squad member only

Coaching:

1.  Birmingham Stallions             2026 – present

2.  Position:                                  Head Coach

Awards and Highlights:

1.   XFL Most Valuable Player                    2023

2.   XFL passing touchdowns leader           2023

3.   XFL passer rating leader                       2023

4.   XFL completion percentage leader       2023

5.   3x BCS National Champion                  2009, 2011, 2012

6.   Maxwell Award                                      2013

7.   Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award      2013

8.   Kellen Moore Award                              2013

9.   First-team All-American                       2013

10. Third-team All-American                      2012

11. NCAA passer rating leader                    2012

12. 2x Second-team All-SEC                        2012, 2013

Career NFL Statistics:

1.  Passing attempts                                  179

2.  Passing completions                            113

3.  Completion percentage                        63.1%

4.  Touchdowns – Interceptions                6 – 3

5.  Passing yards                                       1,192

6.  Passer rating                                         86.6

Head Coaching record:

1.  Regular season                                    4 – 6 (.400)

2.  Career                                                  4 – 6 (.400)

A.J. McCarron is a former National Football League quarterback and current head coach of the Birmingham Stallions of the United Football League (UFL).  He played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide, becoming the first quarterback to win consecutive BCS National Championship Games with victories in 2012 and 2013.  McCarron also received the Maxwell, Johnny Unitas Golden Arm, and Kellen Moore Awards.

McCarron was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the fifth round of the 2014 NFL draft and played four seasons as a backup.  He spent his next four seasons as a backup with the Oakland Raiders, Houston Texans, and Atlanta Falcons, then spent two seasons as the starting quarterback for the St. Louis Battlehawks, a team that played initially in the XFL and then the UFL.

In October 2025, McCarron announced his candidacy for Lieutenant Governor of Alabama in the 2026 election⁽¹⁾.  He dropped out in December of the same year.⁽²⁾

Early Life:

McCarron was born to Dee Dee Bonner and Tony McCarron on September 13^th, 1990.  His younger brother, Corey, played tight end and Alabama but transferred to play fullback at Middle Tennessee State.⁽³⁾

McCarron was born and raised in Mobile, Alabama.  He attended Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School from kindergarten to fourth grade before transferring to St. Paul’s Episcopal School⁽⁴⁾.  At the age of five, McCarron was severely injured in a jet-ski accident and almost died⁽⁵⁾.  He first played football at Trimmier Park and then Langan Park in Mobile.  McCarron played on the same park team as future college teammate Mark Barron.  During McCarron’s junior season of high school, St. Paul’s went 14-1 and went on to win the state championship against Briarwood Christian School off a missed PAT (Point After Touchdown or Extra Point).  While attending St. Paul’s, McCarron was recruited by several football programs in the Southwestern Conference, including Alabama, Auburn, Mississippi, and Tennessee⁽⁶⁾.  On May 3^rd, 2008, he committed to the Crimson Tide, becoming the only quarterback signed by Alabama for their 2009 recruiting class.⁽⁷⁾

McCarron capped off his high school career at the 2009 U.S. Army All-American Bowl.⁽⁸⁾

College Career:

2010 season

Photo Credit:

USA Today Sports - Alabama / Oklahoma Sugar Bowl

In his first season at Alabama, McCarron accepted a redshirt and did not play during the season^(9)(10) as the tea went 14 – 0 to capture the 2009 National Championship over the Texas Longhorns⁽¹¹⁾.  During his redshirt freshman year, McCarron did see some playing time, appearing in nine games as the Crimson Tide finished 10 – 3^(12)(13).  His first collegiate touchdown pass came during the season opener when he connected with wide receiver Julio Jones on a 29-yard pass against San Jose State⁽¹⁴⁾.  McCarron passed for 389 yards and three touchdowns during the season.  Against Auburn on Alabama’s last possession McCarron came in for injured starter Greg McElroy.  However, McCarron threw four straight incompletions to end the game as Auburn came back to win 28 – 27 after being down 24 – 0 in the second quarter.⁽¹⁵⁾

2011 season

After a tight completion for the starting quarterback position during spring practices, McCarron was named as the co-starting quarterback alongside Phillip Sims for the team’s 2011 season opener versus Kent State, and later became the de facto starter by starting in every game^(16)(17).  In his first collegiate start, McCarron threw for 226 yards, a touchdown, and two interceptions as Alabama won 48 – 7⁽¹⁸⁾.  His first road start for Alabama came the following week, as the Tide travelled to State College, Pennsylvania.  McCarron’s performance of 163 yards with no turnovers helped Alabama defeat Penn State by a score of 27 – 11,⁽¹⁹⁾ which turned out to be the last loss for head coach Joe Paterno.  Another solid performance, alongside running back Trent Richardson, helped McCarron get a victory in his first Southern Conference (SEC) start, a 38 – 14 win over #14 Arkansas.⁽²⁰⁾

During the course of his sophomore season, McCarron helped lead the Crimson Tide to an 11 – 1 overall record during the regular season, including 7 – 1 record in conference⁽²¹⁾.  Alabama’s only loss of the season came during a 9 – 6 overtime defeat at the hands of #1-ranked LSU^(22)(23).  During the game, McCarron completed 16-of-28 passes for 199 yards and an interception.  By remaining unbeaten during the rest of the regular season, Alabama again met LSU at the Superdome for the national championship.  His performance of 234 yards passing earned McCarron Offensive Player of the Game in a 21 – 0 rout of the Tigers⁽²⁴⁾.  During his first season as starting quarterback, McCarron threw for 2,634 yards, 16 touchdowns, and five interceptions⁽²⁵⁾ and led the team to the BCS National Championship.⁽²⁶⁾

2012 season

McCarron had a strong start in his second year as starting quarterback for Alabama as the Crimson Tide started off the season with a 9 – 0 record⁽²⁷⁾.  His good start to the season, including a comeback victory over LSU, had several media members put McCarron as a dark horse candidate for the year’s Heisman Trophy^(28)(29).  His first interception, and Alabama’s first loss, of the season came in the team’s tenth game of the season.⁽³⁰⁾

In their first year in the SEC, Texas A&M and eventual Heisman-winner Johnny Manziel came into Bryant-Denny Stadium and upset Alabama 29 – 24.  McCarron’s second interception of the game seemingly sealed Alabama’s loss, as he threw an interception on a fourth & goal pass with under two minutes remaining⁽³¹⁾.  Both McCarron and Alabama rebounded to remain unbeaten during the rest of the regular season, which led them to the 2012 SEC Championship Game versus Georgia⁽³²⁾.  With the help of running back Eddie Lacy, Alabama battled the Bulldogs to win 32 – 28 and earn a shot to play for the 2013 BCS National Championship against No. 1 Notre Dame.⁽³³⁾

On December 12^th, 2012, ahead of their game against Notre Dame, McCarron announced that he would be coming back to Alabama for his senior season⁽³⁴⁾.  On January 7^th, 2013, Alabama met Notre Dame for the 2013 BCS National Championship.  The Fighting Irish were led by their defense and Heisman runner-up Manti Te’o to an unbeaten 12 – 0 regular season record^(35)(36).  However, their defense was overmatched as Alabama rolled 42 – 14 to capture their third BCS National Championship in four years behind McCarron’s 264 yards and four touchdown passes,⁽³⁷⁾ which allowed him to become the first quarterback to win back-to-back BCS titles⁽³⁸⁾.  During his junior season, McCarron threw for a school-record 30 touchdown passes in a season,⁽³⁹⁾ as well as 49 touchdown passes over his career⁽⁴⁰⁾.  He also had an NCAA-leading passer rating of 175.3⁽⁴¹⁾.  McCarron was named the winner of the 2012 CFPA Quarterback Trophy on January 22^nd, 2013.⁽⁴²⁾

2013 season

McCarron made the cover of Sports Illustrated October 30^th, 2013, edition, which asked whether he was one of the best college players ever.  At that time, McCarron (whose team was 10 – 0) was a long shot for the Heisman Trophy.⁽⁴³⁾

As a senior in 2013, McCarron was again a second-team All-SEC selection⁽⁴⁴⁾.  During the season, he passed John Parker Wilson to become Alabama’s all time passing yard leader⁽⁴⁵⁾.  Alabama started the season with an 11 – 0 record before facing Auburn in the Iron Bowl⁽⁴⁶⁾.  In the 34 – 28 loss, McCarron threw for 277 yards and three touchdowns, one of which was a 99-yard pass to Amari Cooper⁽⁴⁷⁾.  The loss knocked Alabama out of contention for the SEC Championship.  The Crimson Tide finished their season in the Sugar Bowl against Oklahoma.  In the 45 – 31 loss to the Sooners, McCarron had 387 passing yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions in his final collegiate game⁽⁴⁸⁾.  He also broke Greg McElroy’s record for passing yards in a season, with 3,063⁽⁴⁹⁾.  McCarron finished in second place in the Heisman Trophy voting that season.⁽⁵⁰⁾

Professional Career:

Pre-draft:

Coming out of Alabama, McCarron was projected by the majority of NFL draft experts and scouts to be drafted in the second or third round.  He was praised for his game management and decision making, with the potential to become an NFL starter.⁽⁵¹⁾

Cincinnati Bengals (First Stint)

Photo Credit:

https://qbcountry.com/aj-mccarron-drafted-by-cincinnati-bengals-in-5th-round/

2014 season

McCarron was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the fifth round of the 2014 NFL draft with the 164^th overall pick⁽⁵⁴⁾.  Along with University of Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray, McCarron’s draft value drastically dropped during the draft, as he was the ninth quarterback selected, out of the total 14⁽⁵⁵⁾.  It was reported that teams felt during pre-draft interviews that he came across as cocky and over-confident.  When asked what his best attribute was during an interview at the combine, McCarron responded, “Winning!”⁽⁵⁶⁾

On May 22^nd, 2014, the Bengals signed McCarron to a four-year, $2.4 million dollar contract with a $181,652 dollar signing bonus⁽⁵⁷⁾.  In August 2014, he was placed on the reserve/non-football injury list due to shoulder soreness, meaning that McCarron would miss at least the first six weeks of the 2014 season⁽⁵⁸⁾.  With Andy Dalton entrenched as the starting quarterback for the Bengals, and veteran Jason Campbell as his backup, the Bengals did not plan for McCarron to see significant playing time during his rookie season⁽⁵⁸⁾.  On December 9^th, 2014, McCarron was activated after linebacker Vontaze Burfict was placed on injured reserve.⁽⁵⁹⁾

2015 season

McCarron was named the backup quarterback to begin the season after beating out Keith Wenning and Terrelle Pryor during training camp.⁽⁶⁰⁾

During a week 9 31 – 10 victory over the Cleveland Browns, McCarron appeared in his first career game⁽⁶¹⁾.  Three weeks later, he completed his first career pass attempt for a three-yard completion in a 31 – 7 victory over the St. Louis Rams⁽⁶²⁾.  In the next game, McCarron completed two of three passes for 19 yards in a 37 – 3 road victory over the Browns.⁽⁶³⁾

On December 13^th, 2015, starting quarterback Andy Dalton fractured the thumb on his throwing hand while trying to make a tackle in the first quarter against the Pittsburgh Steelers.  Although the Steelers won 33 – 20, McCarron came in and recorded 280 passing yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions^(64)(65).  The following week, McCarron became the first Alabama quarterback to win an NFL game since Jeff Rutledge of the New York Giants in 1987⁽⁶⁶⁾.  In his first career start against the San Francisco 49ers, McCarron completed 15-of-21 passes for 192 yards and a touchdown during the 24 – 14 road victory⁽⁶⁷⁾.  The following week against the Denver Broncos, he threw for 200 yards and a touchdown in a 20 – 17 overtime road loss⁽⁶⁸⁾.  During the regular season finale against the Baltimore Ravens, McCarron recorded 160 passing yards and two touchdowns in the 24 – 16 victory.⁽⁶⁹⁾

During the Wild Card Round against the Steelers, McCarron completed 23-of-41 passes for 212 yards, a touchdown, and an interception in the narrow 18 – 16 loss, ending their season.⁽⁷⁰⁾

2016 season

In 2016, McCarron only played in one game and recorded no statistics in a week 6 35 – 17 loss to the New England Patriots.⁽⁷¹⁾

2017 season

On October 31^st, 2017, the Bengals and Browns agreed on a deal to trade McCarron to Cleveland in exchange for a second and third-round pick in the 2018 NFL draft.  However, the Browns failed to file the paperwork to the NFL before the trade deadline, nixing the trade⁽⁷²⁾.  Four days later, it was reported that McCarron had filed a labor grievance against the Bengals asking to become a restricted free agent following the 2017 season as opposed to a restricted free agent.  McCarron claimed that he was healthy enough to be removed from the non-football injury list during training camp in 2014 and that his rookie season should count as an accrued season towards unrestricted free agency.⁽⁷³⁾

On February 15^th, 2018, McCarron won the grievance and became a free agent to begin the 2018 season, and received lost salary with interest from the 2014 season⁽⁷⁴⁾.  He finished the 2017 season completing seven of 14 passes for 66 yards in three games and no starts.⁽⁷⁵⁾

Buffalo Bills:

Photo Credit:

AJ McCarron Remains In Buffalo

On March 14^th, 2018, McCarron signed a two-year, $10 million dollar contract with the Buffalo Bills⁽⁷⁶⁾.  He competed for the starting quarterback position with second-year quarterback Nathan Peterman and rookie Josh Allen⁽⁷⁷⁾.  However, McCarron suffered a shoulder injury during a preseason game against the Browns.  The injury was initially reported as a hairline fracture in his collarbone, which would have sidelined him for about four to six weeks⁽⁷⁸⁾.  Nonetheless, McCarron received a second opinion on the injury, which revealed no fracture, clearing him to participate in the next two preseason games, including a comeback victory over the Chicago Bears, where McCarron passed for three touchdowns and ran for another in the fourth quarter despite carrying a 0.0 passer rating the previous three quarters.⁽⁷⁹⁾

Oakland Raiders

Photo Copyright

McCarron discusses trade to raiders and learning
Jon Grudens offense

On September 1st, 2018, McCarron was traded to the Oakland Raiders for a 2019 fifth-round draft pick (originally acquired from the Steelers)(80). He appeared in two games in relief of Derek Carr during the 2018 season, completing one of three passes for eight yards.(81)

McCarron was released on March 14th, 2019, shortly after the beginning of the new NFL season.(82).

Houston Texans:

On March 20th, 2019, McCarron signed a one-year contract with the Houston Texans(83). In the regular-season finale against the Tennessee Titans, McCarron recorded his first start since the 2015 season since the Texans were already locked into the #4-seed in the AFC and sat most of their starters as a result. McCarron finished 35 – 14 loss with 225 passing yards and an interception to go along with 39 rushing yards and a touchdown.(84)

On March 30th, 2020, McCarron re-signed with the Texans(85). He briefly entered the week 14 matchup against the Bears after starter Deshaun Watson hurt his elbow, but McCarron was sacked on his lone play for a turnover on downs(86). The Texans went on to lose on the road by a score of 36 – 7(87). During the regular-season finale against the Titans, McCarron came into the game during the second quarter and threw a single pass for 20 yards in the 41 – 38 loss.(88)

Atlanta Falcons:

On April 30th, 2021, McCarron signed a one-year contract with the Atlanta Falcons(89). He suffered a torn ACL in the week 2 preseason game against the Miami Dolphins and was placed on season-ending injured reserve, ending his season before it even started.(90)(91)

St. Louis Battlehawks (first stint):

On November 15th, 2022, McCarron was selected by the St. Louis Battlehawks of the XFL(92)(93). He later signed a contract with the team, worth between $100,000 and $200,000 dollars a season(94)(95). McCarron quickly became a breakout star for the Battlehawks after two consecutive comeback victories in the first two weeks of the 2023 season. In a postgame interview, McCarron stated he chose to play in the XFL rather than take a more lucrative position as an NFL backup in order to give himself more on-camera playing time so his children could watch him play, which prompted XFL co-owner Dwayne Johnson to praise McCarron for his choice.(96)(97)

In his final game of the 2023 regular season, McCarron went 28-of-35 on the day, throwing for 420 yards and six touchdowns – the yardage and touchdowns the most in a single game by an XFL passer in league history(98). He also set a league record for single-season touchdown passes with 24 that year.(99)(100)

Following the season, McCarron indicated that he was open to opportunities to return to the NFL, saying, “I’m not done playing”(101). He was released from his contract on September 23rd, 2023.(102)

Cincinnati Bengals (second stint):

On September 23rd, 2023, the Bengals signed McCarron to their practice squad(103). On December 4th, he was signed to the active roster.(104)

McCarron saw his first in-season action with the Bengals in week 14 against the Indianapolis Colts, relieving starting quarterback Jake Browning during the third quarter after Browning exited the game for a thumb injury. McCarron completed one pass before Browning returned to the game the following drive.(105)

McCarron requested and was granted his release on February 14th, 2024.(106)

St. Louis Battlehawks (second stint):

McCarron expressed hesitancy about returning to the Battlehawks after his stint with the Bengals ended, noting that the merged United Football League was unionized when the XFL players had voted against joining the union and that the new league’s pay structure was less generous to quarterbacks than the XFL’s was(107). Battlehawks coach Anthony Becht reserved a roster spot for McCarron should he agree to return to the team(108). He ultimately agreed to return to the league because he had grown to like the league and appreciated his role in it as a senior veteran.(109)

McCarron re-signed with the St. Louis Battlehawks on February 16th, 2024(110). He spent the 2024 season as the Battlehawk’s starting quarterback. McCarron suffered an ankle injury during a week 7 contest against the Birmingham Stallions but played through the injury for the rest of the game, stating at the time that he hoped to teach a lesson to his children; McCarron eventually returned for the end of the season and the XFL conference championship, where he again injured his ankle in a 25 – 15 to the San Antonio Brahmas. McCarron planned on having surgery to repair the ankle in the offseason, nothing that there was a possibility it could end his playing career but he wanted to continue having a part in the league even if it would be a non-playing role.(109)

On November 15th, 2024, Becht relinquished McCarron’s rights, stating that he felt it was time for another quarterback, preferably someone on an NFL practice squad (eventually revealed as Max Duggan(111)), to take the Battlehawks’ reins in 2025(112) . In a post-release interview, McCarron indicated that he suspected he would not be on the Battlehawks roster for 2025 before the 2024 season ended and accused Becht of multiple wrongs, including forcing him to return to play at the end of the 2024 season while still injured, reneging on an agreement to issue a joint statement announcing his departure (as he found out about his release from his son), attempting to enforce a nonexistent reserve clause to forbid McCarron from signing with any other team unless the Battlehawks agreed to trade his rights, and portraying the departure as a retirement when McCarron fully intends on returning to professional football.

 McCarron asserted that his contract had already expired before Becht released him and was already a free agent. He expressed a desire to remain in the UFL, with a preference of staying in the XFL conference so he could beat Becht’s team twice in a season, while also remaining open to signing with his home state team, the Stallions(113). A.J. Smith revealed in a June 2025 interview that McCarron had been in deep discussions with the Brahams (where Smith was offensive coordinator at the time) to sign with that team, only for unnamed upper management to veto the signing(114). In a January 2025 interview with the New York Post, McCarron’s wife indicated he would likely not play football again and was in the process of securing a podcast deal.(115)

Coaching Career

On December 18th, 2025, McCarron was hired as the head coach of the Birmingham Stallions of the United States Football League (UFL).(116)

Politics:

On October 23^rd, 2025, McCarron announced that he would be running for Lieutenant Governor of Alabama in 2026 as a Republican.⁽¹¹⁷⁾

McCarron registered to vote for the first time three days before announcing his candidacy.  In a statement to the Alabama Daily News, his campaign stated that he had been, “inspired to run by the previous month’s assassination of Charlie Kirk.”⁽¹¹⁸⁾

McCarron dropped his candidacy on December 17^th, 2025, saying that “football is calling my name,” and that he was accepting a new football opportunity⁽²⁾.  On December 18^th, McCarron was named to the head coach position of the Birmingham Stallions, a job that had been opened following the departure of Skip Holtz.⁽¹¹⁶⁾

Personal Life:

McCarron became engaged to model and longtime girlfriend Katherine Webb in March 2014⁽¹¹⁹⁾.  They got married on July 12^th, 2014, in Orange Beach, Alabama.  Webb announced on December 8^th, 2015, that she was four months pregnant with their first son, to whom she gave birth in May 2016.  In December 2018, Webb gave birth to a second son⁽¹²⁰⁾, and in March of 2021, she gave birth to the couple’s third son.⁽¹²¹⁾

McCarron is a Catholic.⁽¹²²⁾

For more about A.J. McCarron, check out this link: https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/M/McCaA.00.htm

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North Chagrin Reservation: Where Family Memories Follow the Trails

My Personal Thoughts

Some places require weeks of planning. Others wait close enough to answer a sudden need for fresh air.

For my family, North Chagrin Reservation has always belonged to the second group. The drive from home usually takes about seventeen minutes, and much of that time is spent waiting through a series of traffic lights. It is close enough that a visit never needed to become a major expedition. Whenever I felt the urge to walk, clear my head, exercise, or see what wildlife might be moving near the water, I could simply go.

Although portions of the reservation extend into Lake County, North Chagrin Reservation is part of the Cleveland Metroparks system. It stretches through Mayfield Village, Willoughby Hills, and Gates Mills, bringing together woodlands, wetlands, picnic areas, wildlife sanctuaries, trails, and historic places. Since the 1920s, the reservation has served as both an outdoor recreation area and a protected natural landscape.

For me, however, its meaning has never been limited to a map or park-system boundary. North Chagrin has been a place of solitary walks, family picnics, horseback rides, wildlife encounters, photography, and memories that reach across several stages of my life.

Close Enough to Become
Part of Life

There were many times when I visited North Chagrin Reservation alone. I would get the urge to walk, head toward the park, and follow whichever trail felt right that day. Exercise was part of the reason, but I was also curious about what I might see.

A trail never guarantees a wildlife encounter. That uncertainty is part of the appeal. A quiet stretch of woods might remain completely still, or a movement near the water might reveal a turtle, frog, heron, or dragonfly. Sometimes the reward was simply the sound of leaves overhead and the feeling that the road, traffic lights, and daily responsibilities had fallen behind me.

The reservation also became a family destination. My youngest brother Darrel, my son Jeremy, and I went there often. When my mother was alive, Darrel and I brought her as well.

Before Alzheimer’s disease and dementia changed what outings were possible for her, we sometimes spent time together at one of the picnic areas near the Nature Center, pond, and marsh. There were picnic tables, barbecue grills, and swings for children. The trails connected the recreation area to the wider reservation, so a picnic could easily become a walk beneath the trees or a visit to the water.

Those were not extravagant occasions. They were ordinary family days, and that is precisely why they matter now.

In recent years, doctor appointments, getting Jeremy to and from work, conflicting schedules, and problems with the van have made visits less frequent. The park has not become less meaningful. Life has simply placed more obstacles between us and the trailhead.

North Chagrin remains close, waiting in the same way familiar places do.

Between Sunset Pond
and Sanctuary Marsh

Sanctuary Marsh stretches behind the
North Chagrin Nature Center, creating
wetland habitat for birds, turtles, frogs,
dragonflies, and other wildlife

Photo copyright: Michael A. Buccilli

The North Chagrin Nature Center stands between Sunset Pond and Sanctuary Marsh. The center serves as an educational hub, with wildlife-viewing areas, native-animal exhibits, naturalist programs, and access to nearby paved trails. A short accessible loop follows Sanctuary Marsh and includes boardwalk areas where visitors may see fish, turtles, and wading birds.

The Nature Center helps orient visitors, but the marsh soon takes over the experience.

From behind the building, Sanctuary Marsh opens into a layered landscape of wetland plants, water, reeds, fallen wood, and surrounding forest. Dead tree trunks rise from the greenery, while the building itself sits partly hidden among the trees. It feels less like a carefully arranged park scene and more like a place where nature has negotiated its own terms.

That habitat has given me some of my favorite wildlife photographs from North Chagrin.

One photograph shows a Canada goose moving across the water with two goslings close behind. The adult appears watchful, while the young birds create small circles of movement in the ripples. It is a familiar spring scene, but familiarity does not make it less meaningful. Parenthood, protection, and vulnerability can all exist in a few feet of water.

A Canadian goose guides two goslings
through the rippling water
of Sanctuary Marsh

Photo copyright: Michael A. Buccilli

Another image captures a freshwater turtle stretched across a fallen log, warming itself above the reflected greens and blues of the marsh. I am not certain of the exact species, so it is better to let the photograph remain what it honestly records: a turtle claiming a strip of sunlight.

A freshwater turtle rests on a sunlit log

above the reflected colors

of Sanctuary Marsh

 

Photo Copyright: Michael A. Buccilli

A dragonfly rests among tall blades of marsh grass, its transparent wings catching the light. Part of its body is obscured by a reed, but that makes the image feel truthful. Wildlife does not arrange itself for the photographer. The challenge is to notice what is briefly visible before it moves again.

Dragonfly with transparent wings resting

among tall green reeds beside

Sanctuary Marsh

Photo Copyright: Michael A. Buccilli

A frog sits on a wet log near the waterline, small enough that it could easily be missed. That photograph reflects the way I often experience a place like Sanctuary Marsh. The most memorable discovery is not always the largest animal. Sometimes it is the tiny shape that only becomes visible after standing still.

A small frog sits near the waterline,

one of the quieter discoveries

waiting in the marsh

Photo Copyright: Michael A. Buccilli

The strongest wildlife presence in the series may be the Great Blue Heron standing on a fallen log. Its long legs, gray-blue body, pointed bill, and patient posture suit the marsh perfectly. The bird appears almost motionless, yet a heron’s stillness is rarely inactivity. It is attention sharpened into posture.

Great Blue Heron standing on a fallen log

surrounded by green marsh water,

aquatic plants, and woodland

Photo Copyright: Michael A. Buccilli

These images come from different visits, and the article should not pretend they all appeared during a single walk. Together, however, they reveal the reservation as I have come to know it over time: layered, unpredictable, and full of lives moving at their own pace.

Trails on Foot and
on Horseback

Walking the reservation as an adult brought back a much earlier connection to its trails.

During high school, my cousin and I belonged to a horseback-riding club. On a couple of occasions, members of the club rode together through North Chagrin Reservation. Not every member was able to attend every outing, but these were organized club rides, and the trails became part of my teenage experience of the park.

North Chagrin continues to include bridle trails, and one trailhead provides parking suitable for horse trailers and access to designated riding routes.

There is a different rhythm to experiencing a trail from horseback. The view is higher, the movement belongs partly to another living creature, and the landscape passes through the steady pattern of hooves. I could not have known then that I would return years later on foot, carrying different responsibilities and watching the woods through the eyes of a photographer.

That is one of the quiet powers of a familiar park. The land stays in place while the visitor changes.

As a teenager, I followed the trail with my cousin and fellow club members. Later, I walked alone for exercise and the possibility of seeing wildlife. Still later, the reservation became a place to visit with Darrel, Jeremy, and my mother.

The same network of trails connected all those versions of my life.

Picnics, Playgrounds,
and Summer Afternoons

North Chagrin is not only a wildlife destination. It is also an everyday community space.

During the summer, picnic tables and grills become gathering places for families, friends, celebrations, and casual cookouts. The reservation’s picnic areas sit close enough to the trails that visitors can eat, rest, let children play, and then wander back into the woods. Cleveland Metroparks maintains multiple picnic areas throughout the reservation, including locations with tables, grills, parking, and other basic amenities.

What I remember most is the ease of it.

We did not need a complicated itinerary. Food, a picnic table, a place for children to swing, and the nearby trails were enough. The reservation supplied the background: trees, birds, open space, and the possibility of a walk after eating.

Parks often appear in travel writing as destinations to be conquered. Trails are measured, landmarks are checked off, and photographs become evidence that the traveler arrived.

North Chagrin asks for something quieter. It works best when treated as a place to spend time rather than a list to complete.

The Modest Beauty of

Buttermilk Falls

Buttermilk Falls is one of the smaller features within the reservation.

It is not a roaring waterfall that dominates the landscape. The overlook is modest, and the cascade is easy to miss if someone arrives expecting something monumental. Yet that smallness suits North Chagrin.

A wooded viewing deck overlooks the creek as the water moves across layers of Cleveland Shale and Chagrin Shale. Nearby trailheads connect visitors with the Buttermilk Falls Trail, the All Purpose Trail, Hickory Fox Loop, and other wooded routes.

The falls do not require a borrowed photograph or exaggerated description. They belong in the story as they are: a small cascade found along the way, a brief change in sound and texture within a much larger park.

Not every beautiful place needs to thunder.

Squire’s Castle and the
Estate That Never Was

Photo Copyright: Michael A. Buccilli

On the eastern side of North Chagrin Reservation, Squire’s Castle rises from a broad grassy clearing near Chagrin River Road.

Its stone towers, arched entrance, narrow windows, and surrounding forest give it the appearance of a structure transported from another time. The nearby parking and picnic tables make it easy to visit, and the open lawn has become a familiar setting for family outings and photography.

Homecoming portraits, prom photographs, engagement sessions, and wedding pictures are often created around the castle. On some days, the lawn feels like an outdoor studio, with photographers guiding people toward stone walls, arches, and patches of flattering light.

Despite its name, Squire’s Castle was not built as a completed castle residence.

Feargus B. Squire, an executive with Standard Oil, purchased approximately 525 acres in the Chagrin Valley in 1890. He planned a country estate called River Farm Estate. The structure now known as Squire’s Castle was built during the 1890s as a gatehouse and caretaker’s quarters, modeled after English and German baronial architecture. A larger main residence was planned but never constructed.

The gatehouse was more elaborate than the shell visitors see today. It once contained finished rooms, woodwork, plaster walls, leaded-glass windows, living areas, bedrooms, a kitchen, and a library. After the property changed hands, it was acquired by the Metropolitan Park Board in 1925 and became part of what developed into North Chagrin Reservation.

Today, the interior is open and largely empty.

Visitors can walk through the rooms, stand beneath the arches, look through the window openings, and imagine the building as it once appeared. The missing floors and interior details make the structure feel unfinished, but that incompleteness is part of its character.

The castle is not particularly large. Its appeal comes from the contrast between expectation and reality. From across the lawn, it appears grand and theatrical. Inside, it becomes intimate, exposed, and slightly mysterious.

Local ghost stories have gathered around it over the years, but the real history is interesting enough without embellishment. It is the surviving gatehouse of an ambitious estate that was never fully built, a fragment of someone’s plan preserved in the middle of a public park.

Photographing a
Familiar Place

North Chagrin Reservation offers many types of photography without demanding that the photographer travel far.

At Sanctuary Marsh, the work is about patience. Waterfowl may drift into the frame, turtles may climb onto logs, dragonflies may stop briefly among the grasses, and a heron may remain still long enough to become part of the landscape.

Around Squire’s Castle, the subjects shift to architecture and human activity. Stone texture, arches, towers, window openings, portraits, and the contrast between the pale building and dark woods all offer possibilities.

The trails provide another visual language: branches arching overhead, light crossing the path, leaves changing with the seasons, hoof-worn earth, and people disappearing around a bend.

These photographs were made during different visits and at different stages of my development as a photographer. Some were edited more heavily than I would process them today. Even so, they remain valuable records of what I saw and how I interpreted the place at that time.

Photography does not only preserve the landscape. It preserves the photographer’s way of seeing it.

A Place That Holds More
Than One Story

North Chagrin Reservation is easy to describe as a collection of features: a nature center, ponds, marshland, trails, picnic areas, a small waterfall, and an unusual stone gatehouse.

That description would be accurate, but incomplete.

For me, the reservation also holds horseback rides with my cousin and our high-school club. It holds solo walks taken for exercise and peace of mind. It holds wildlife photographs made beside the marsh. It holds picnics with Darrel, Jeremy, and my mother before Alzheimer’s and dementia changed what our family could do together.

We have not visited as often recently. Responsibilities, appointments, transportation problems, and daily schedules have made spontaneous outings more difficult.

Still, the reservation remains only about seventeen minutes away.

The traffic lights are still there. The trails continue beyond the picnic tables. Wildlife moves through Sanctuary Marsh whether a photographer is watching or not. Squire’s Castle waits in its clearing, an unfinished building that somehow became a lasting landmark.

Someday soon, I hope we can return.

When we do, we will not be returning to only one version of North Chagrin Reservation. We will be walking back into all the versions we have known before, following familiar trails through memory, family, and the quiet wonder of a place close to home.

Sources and Further Reading

1. Cleveland Metroparks. “North Chagrin Reservation.”
   General information about the reservation’s location, wetlands, wildlife-viewing areas, picnic facilities, hiking, horseback riding, and major attractions. Accessed August 1, 2026.
   https://www.clevelandmetroparks.com/parks/visit/parks/north-chagrin-reservation
   
   
2. Cleveland Metroparks. “North Chagrin Nature Center.”
   Information about the Nature Center’s location between Sunset Pond and Sanctuary Marsh, wildlife-viewing areas, exhibits, and educational programs. Accessed August 1, 2026.
   https://www.clevelandmetroparks.com/parks/visit/parks/north-chagrin-reservation/north-chagrin-nature-center
   
   
3. Cleveland Metroparks. “North Chagrin Nature Center Marsh Loop.”
   Information about the paved, accessible loop around Sanctuary Marsh and opportunities to observe turtles, fish, and wading birds. Accessed August 1, 2026.
   https://www.clevelandmetroparks.com/parks/visit/ten-to-explore/2023/may
   
   
4. Cleveland Metroparks. “Buttermilk Falls Scenic Overlook.”
   Information about the wooded overlook and the cascade’s passage across Cleveland Shale and Chagrin Shale. Accessed August 1, 2026.
   https://www.clevelandmetroparks.com/parks/visit/parks/north-chagrin-reservation/buttermilk-falls-trailhead
   
   
5. Cleveland Metroparks. “Buttermilk Falls Trailhead.”
   Information about access to the Buttermilk Falls Trail, Hickory Fox Loop, All Purpose Trail, and nearby Hemlock Trail. Accessed August 1, 2026.
   
   
6. Roy, Chris. “Squire’s Castle: The Gatehouse for an Oil Executive’s Unbuilt Estate.” Cleveland Historical.
   History of Feargus B. Squire, River Farm Estate, the gatehouse’s original purpose and interior, the unbuilt main residence, and the property’s acquisition by the Metropolitan Park Board. Accessed August 1, 2026.
   https://www.clevelandhistorical.org/index
   

Author’s Note

The family memories, personal visits, high-school horseback-riding experiences, wildlife observations, travel time, and photographs included in this article come from my own experiences at North Chagrin Reservation.