Since Jan. 8, nothing has been the same. The moment Tua Tagovailoa heaved that 41-yard touchdown pass to win Alabama a national championship, everything changed.
Not just for Alabama, winner of its fifth national title in nine years. Or for Georgia, which seemed almost destined to make its own history before Tagovailoa entered the game after halftime. Or even for the true freshman quarterback, who in an instant became the face of the sport and earned a legacy of being talked about in Alabama for decades no matter what comes next.
But for a family, which had relocated 4,000 miles from its home in Hawaii and become local celebrities in Alabaster, Alabama, facing unanticipated greetings at Walmart and photograph and autograph requests.