Katherine Webb’s dad: “Give Brent a break” - Dallas News | myFOXdfw.com

Who is Katherine Webb?  Before Monday night's BCS Championship game, that's a question most of the country may not have been able to answer.  Now, the parents of Katherine Webb are speaking out to FOX 5 about their daughter's sudden rise to fame.

Webb, 23, gained tens of thousands of followers on Twitter after ESPN's cameras and announcers focused on her during Monday's night's national championship game. Her boyfriend, Alabama quarterback AJ McCarron, led the Crimson Tide to a 42-14 victory over Notre Dame.

Katherine was born in Montgomery and grew up in Phenix City, Ala., where her parents, Alan and Leslie Webb, still live.  They told FOX 5's Aungelique Proctor on Tuesday that they were amazed by the attention given to their daughter.

"She didn't even know that they had the camera on her," said Katherine's mom, Leslie. "She didn't see it."

Some spectators have been critical of ESPN announcer's Brent Musburger's comments on Katherine's beauty, but her dad sees it another way.

"On one hand, you can look at it as being kind of like the dirty old man, but I'm used to this and I think if you really look into what that he was trying to say, he was trying to be complimentary, and I think they need to give Brent a break," Alan Webb told FOX 5.

Webb's parents said they are exceptionally proud of their little girl, who was once bullied for the skin discoloration condition known as Vitiligo, as well as for her soaring height.  Her parents said that she learned of her inner beauty during the Miss Alabama USA pageant.

"That's actually what the Miss USA pageant did for Katherine is to help develop a better self-esteem to finally love herself.  Her self confidence grew dramatically because of that," her mom explained.

According to her parents, Katherine has conquered all those insecurities and developed into a beautiful young model who has her head on straight.

"She just loves life and she is the kind of person that loves making people happy," said Katherine's mom.  "Like when she was doing the Miss Alabama USA, her most fun things, other than the charity thing that she did, which she loved… she had a bunch of girls and she was teaching them how to walk and she actually gave them advice about how to handle boys in school."

"She's strongly involved in our church -- that's important to her, loves the outdoors, loves going hunting with me, likes riding four-wheelers and jet skis," her dad said.

Katherine's parents say their daughter gave her life to Christ at a very early age.  She was crowned Miss Alabama USA 2012, and currently models in Los Angeles.

Webb's proud parents also have high praise for McCarron, who they said only met Katherine about 40 days ago at a Miss USA pageant.

"I have been very impressed with him.  He's a very good man and I know that she's impressed with him," said Katherine's dad told FOX 5. "I think she really likes him."

"What she likes the most about him is that he has such a tender heart, and to hear the stories of how he has helped so many children and how he has touched their lives," her mother added.

Katherine's parents said that they believe the couple could last.

"I spoke to AJ recently and I told him, I said, 'AJ, it's more important for me that the Lord's will be done in your life and in Kathryn's life than you all have a relationship.' I said that is important," said Katherine's father.

McCarron has some work to do if he wants to match his girlfriend on Twitter. As of Tuesday afternoon, Katherine Webb was up to more than 170,000 Twitter followers, while McCarron had just more than 112,000.