Defensive tackle Da'Ron Payne played in the final game of the 2017 college football season. In fact, he was the Defensive Player of the Game in Alabama's 26-23 overtime victory against Georgia in their CFP championship showdown on Jan. 8.
The end of football games didn't mean the end of football, though. Payne switched to preparations for the NFL Scouting Combine, Alabama's Pro Day and draft workouts as he sought to raise his stock with pro player-personnel evaluators.
They thought highly of Payne, and he went to the Washington Redskins with the 13th pick in the NFL Draft on April 26.