Super Bowl LIX has been a beatdown. The Philadelphia Eagles came out and punched the two-time defending Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs in the mouths and took a 24-0 lead at halftime.
Philadelphia's defensive line completely overwhelmed the Kansas City offensive line and harassed Patrick Mahomes.
But it was an Alabama football connection late in the third quarter that sealed the deal for the Eagles. With a 27-0 lead and following a turnover-on-downs, most figured the Eagles would just continue to run the ball, bleed the clock, and countdown to a Super Bowl title.
Nick Sirianni and offensive coordinator Kellen Moore had other ideas and dialed up a shot play.
Former Alabama QB Jalen Hurts dropped back and took a shot deep to the endzone for former Crimson Tide Heisman Trophy-winning WR Devonta Smith. As Smith has always done in big moments, he came up with the big play, hauling in a 46-yard touchdown reception to give the Eagles a 34-0 lead and put the final nail in the Kansas City coffin.
Love to see it! @JalenHurts 👏 @DeVontaSmith_6
— Alabama Football (@AlabamaFTBL) February 10, 2025
📺: #SBLIX on FOX
pic.twitter.com/QUkAlYDWs3
Hurts and Smith were teammates for two seasons at Alabama in 2017 and 2018 before Hurts transferred to Oklahoma for his final season after losing the starting QB job to Tua Tagovailoa.
Hurts and Smith connected on a game-winning touchdown in Alabama's win over Mississippi State in 2017, with Smith catching a slant from Hurts and scoring to put the Crimson Tide ahead with about 30 seconds left to play.
Smith went on to catch the walk-off game winner from Tagovailoa in the National Title Game while Hurts watched from the sidelines. Smith won a second National Championship with Alabama in 2020 and became the first pure WR to ever win the Heisman Trophy.
The duo have been teammates in the NFL for all four seasons of Smith's NFL career.