by: Alex Byington • 14 minutes ago • _AlexByington
Jan 8, 2018; Atlanta, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs linebacker Roquan Smith (3) sacks Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (13) during the third quarter in the 2018 CFP national championship college football game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
For years afterwards, Roquan Smith actively avoided watching and reliving his final collegiate game at Georgia — and in particular the final play. It’s a memory the 28-year-old eight-year NFL pro still describes as “gut-wrenching” to this day.
“Man, I honestly didn’t watch that play for years,” Smith, who is entering his fourth season with the Baltimore Ravens , told Barstool Sports’ Pardon My Take podcast on Wednesday. “Anytime somebody had that game on, I’d probably watch a couple of plays but then I’d walk away. It took me awhile to actually to watch that particular play because that was gut-wrenching.”
Of course, the play Roquan Smith is referring to is the iconic “2nd-and-26” game-winning touchdown pass beween then-Alabama freshmen Tua Tagovailoa and DeVonta Smith that sent the Crimson Tide to a 26-23 overtime win over his Bulldogs in the 2018 College Football Playoff national championship game inside Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium . The touchdown pass came one play after Tagovailoa was inexplicably sacked for a 16-yard loss by Georgia’s Davin Bellamy and Jonathan Ledbetter on Alabama’s first play of overtime after the Bulldogs took a 23-20 lead on their opening OT possession.
The Pardon My Take crew asked Roquan Smith what he remembers on that play and if he bought on Tagovailoa’s look-off off the Georgia safety that allowed DeVonta Smith to come open for the score.
“Naw, I didn’t bite at all,” Roquan Smith recalled. “It was basically like I was sitting in the middle of the field, moreso on my hash, and he looked one way and then went back the other way.”