DALLAS — When staring pressure directly in the face, Alabama quarterback Bryce Young chose to smile.
He was in the shotgun, faced with a fourth-and-seven in the Iron Bowl. Forty-three seconds remained in regulation and Alabama needed a touchdown to tie the game.
Before he took the snap, instead of looking flustered or hurried, Young grinned.
Then he threw a first-down pass to tight end Jahleel Billingsley on a touchdown drive that forced overtime and later became Young’s Heisman Trophy moment.
Being calm is nothing new for Young. That’s been his default from the moment he stepped onto the podium and addressed reporters for the first time at the beginning of preseason practices.