Former Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Tua Tagovailoa became a national superstar overnight in the 2018 College Football Playoff final, when he took over for starter Jalen Hurts in the second half and led Alabama to a thrilling overtime win to capture a national championship. Tagovailoa’s performance on that night was legendary, and the final two plays of the game combined to produce an absolutely devastating ending for Georgia fans.
With Alabama trailing 23-20 after giving up a field goal on Georgia’s first overtime drive, Tagovailoa – still only a true freshman at the time playing on the biggest stage of his life – gave up a costly sack on a first-and-10 play that could have doomed the Crimson Tide.
Just a few seconds later, Tagovailoa ended the game with a gorgeous 41-yard touchdown pass to DeVonta Smith.
From the basement to the penthouse in 30 secs pic.twitter.com/Ntxscrd6Gh
— CJ Fogler (@cjzero) January 9, 2018
During an appearance on The Rich Eisen Show, Tagovailoa said that coach Nick Saban – who is notoriously demanding and often angry on the sidelines – was never more upset with Tagovailoa than he was after that overtime sack. Even after Tagovailoa then won the game, Saban was fixated on the sack in the locker room – and Tagovailoa made the mistake of trying to joke about the play.
“I could only see it on camera, how mad he was. That was probably the most pissed off though I think he’s ever been at me. He was squeezing his headset so hard.
…. When we got into the locker room when everything settled down, he was still the same coach. He pulled me to the side like ‘what were you thinking taking a sack?’
Being who he is… he pulled me to the side and said, you know, ‘why did you take the sack?’
And I thought it was a good time to joke with him – I mean, we won the national championship. So I told him ‘well we needed more room to throw the ball, coach.’
He looked at me, and like, I was laughing. He’s like ‘that’s not funny.’ I mean, I didn’t know what else to do in that situation. I was like ‘OK, I’m sorry coach.” So I shook his hand and he just moved on.”
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