Tua Tagovailoa rallies Alabama to 17th national championship
WATCH: Postgame Interviews with players after the championship
Zephaniah Powell was in the middle of explaining to his wife how college overtime worked. Watching Monday night’s College Football Playoff National Championship Game between Alabama and Georgia, the two cheered on the Crimson Tide from their bedroom television in Amite, La.
Powell, who coached Alabama receiver DeVonta Smith in high school, assured his wife that despite falling behind by a field goal the Crimson Tide still had an opportunity to win the game.
Not even he could comprehend what happened next.
“As I was going through the process of talking, Tua was dropping back and threw a deep ball and 6 was running underneath it,” Powell said of Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s 41-yard game-winning touchdown to Smith. “I just stopped. I knew he was going to catch it, but I just started jumping, up screaming, hollering. I actually woke up my 1-year-old. It was very exciting.”
Smith’s touchdown clinched a 26-23 victory for Alabama, giving the Crimson Tide its 17th national championship. It also secured the freshman a place in Alabama folklore for eternity.