Alabama players explain just how much last year’s loss to Clemson hurt
It would be understandable if Alabama players never wanted to relive last year’s heartbreaking loss to Clemson in the national title game, but several members of the Crimson Tide have watched film of the game over and over.
“I’ve watched it, probably, 100 times,” Alabama star linebacker Rashaan Evans said Friday in New Orleans. “I even watched it a week after the game. I’ve watched this film so many times, man. It kind of gets repetitive, to be honest with you. It’s kind of like I’m seeing the same thing over and over again. I try not to do it too much.”
Evans had a great view of Deshaun Watson’s pass to Hunter Renfrow that gave Clemson its first national title since 1981.
He was blitzing off the edge and watched as Watson rolled away from him before delivering a strike to Clemson’s former walk-on receiver.
“If you watch it on film, he rolled out away from me. I was coming,” Evans said. “If he would’ve stopped or something I probably would’ve sacked him.”
Evans has watched that play and several others from the game multiple times over the past year as motivation.
“It’s something that you kind of want to remember,” he said. “You want to be able to kind of feel what it felt like when you lost so that it reminds you in the game, if you ever get tired, if you ever get to a point where you feel like all is lost, it gives you a little bit more motivation.”
Evans is not alone, as defensive back Ronnie Harrison also has watched last year’s title game dozens of times.
“I’ve probably watched that game 50 times. That week after we lost I probably watched the game 10 times,” he said. “In the end, we just didn’t have enough on either side. I just feel like we didn’t bring it. We didn’t have the right answers. Guys know this year we have to finish.”
TOUR GUIDE
Louisiana native Travis Etienne has been in charge of showing his teammates around New Orleans and said that thus far everyone appears to be having a good time.
“They didn’t know things were like this and how they act around here, how they carry themselves, so polite and everything like that,” Clemson’s freshman running back said. “Just last night I went with a couple of guys to Felix the restaurant, and they had gumbo for the first time, jambalaya and etouffee, and for them to never have that it was just mind-blowing because that’s something we take for granted and eat all the time here.”
While Etienne is familiar with New Orleans, he admits he doesn’t have all the answers, which is why he is thankful for Google.
“Sometimes you don’t know the answer to everything, so I just kind of put my phone to the side,” he joked. “But for the most part it’s been a fun experience for me just showing the guys around.”
DIFFERENCE OF OPINION
Alabama and Clemson players have differing opinions on last year’s game-winning catch by Renfrow.
The Tigers wideout was asked if it was a pick play and responded, “It was defensive pass interference in my opinion … It might’ve been a designed rub play maybe, but it never got there.”
Alabama’s Harrison was asked about Clemson’s game-winning touchdown and responded, “You talking about the pick play?”
This story was originally published December 29, 2017 at 5:43 PM with the headline "Alabama players explain just how much last year’s loss to Clemson hurt."