ATLANTA -- In the middle of the postgame chaos at Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta, a blur of crimson and white confetti and cameras and microphones, Najee Harris felt a hand firmly clasp his shoulder from behind.
Harris, one of the heroes of Alabama's come-from-behind title win over Georgia, turned around to find his curmudgeonly running backs coach Burton Burns standing before him. Burns smiled and extended his arms to Harris, a gesture that would have seemed unthinkable a few hours earlier.
"That was the first time he ever hugged me and was, like, 'Man, I love you,'" Harris said.