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Michael Casagrande | mcasagrande@al.com
Shaun Dion Hamilton had a painful final play but also a happy ending.
It was bad. Shaun Dion Hamilton knew it right away, which led to a thrown helmet that November night in Bryant-Denny Stadium.
His final play in an Alabama jersey was a soul crusher. A senior who fought back from tearing his ACL a year earlier sat on the turf knowing this was it.
Hamilton's knee cap fractured on that last snap in the win over LSU.
"When you look down and your knee looks like the size of a golf ball, you know something isn't right," Hamilton said Saturday at the NFL combine in Indianapolis. "The trainers told me on the field what happened. I was just devastated."
Four months later, the Montgomery product estimated he's 85 percent healthy. It was also obvious on the field that was it for his Alabama career. Time wasn't on his side again.
"That's why I took it upon myself to walk off that field on my own," Hamilton said, "because I knew that was going to be my last time walking off Bryant-Denny Stadium."
Flanked by trainers, the middle linebacker took the emotional walk from the sideline toward the Alabama locker room.
Tears flowed.
Head trainer Jeff Allen grabbed his arm for comfort.
Hamilton said there was too much coursing through his head to remember his internal monologue from that devastating moment.
There was physical pain, though not quite what he experienced the previous December in the SEC Championship Game.
"After you tear your ACL, you'll be surprised how smaller injuries don't really affect you," Hamilton said. "This is a serious injury, but in my eyes, it's a small injury. Once you recover from a torn ACL in six or seven months, a torn ACL is a walk in the park."
From that point forward, Hamilton played the role of coach. He was on the practice field limping around soon after the required surgery.
A year earlier, Hamilton had to watch his team lose in the final seconds of the national title game against Clemson. Again, he found himself on the sideline in early January anxiously watching his team powerless at least physically.
Hamilton remembers standing on the end of the Alabama sideline watching Andy Pappanastos' last-second kick hoping to celebrate only to remain in place. Shifting to the other end, the injured linebacker had a good view for what turned out to be the final snap of Alabama's overtime win over Georgia.
"Nobody saw the second and 26 coming," Hamilton recalled almost two months later. I know I didn't."
With it, came an unbridled celebration.
Call it an involuntary reaction built up over two injury-spoiled postseasons.
Hamilton hopped on one leg toward the Alabama dog pile after DeVonta Smith caught Tau Tagovailoa's first and only pass of overtime.
"The crazy thing I wasn't cleared to be running or jumping or anything and I came so close to risking it all from being so caught up in the moment."
In an instant, like with the injury, Hamilton's Alabama career was officially over. No solemn limp back to the locker room like the one in Tampa a year earlier.
"They sent me out with a bang," a smiling Hamilton said Saturday.
Michael Casagrande | mcasagrande@al.com
Stories behind Alabama LB's tearful final Bryant-Denny exit, 1-foot championship outburst
It was bad. Shaun Dion Hamilton knew it right away, which led to a thrown helmet that November night in Bryant-Denny Stadium.
His final play in an Alabama jersey was a soul crusher. A senior who fought back from tearing his ACL a year earlier sat on the turf knowing this was it.
Hamilton's knee cap fractured on that last snap in the win over LSU.
"When you look down and your knee looks like the size of a golf ball, you know something isn't right," Hamilton said Saturday at the NFL combine in Indianapolis. "The trainers told me on the field what happened. I was just devastated."
Four months later, the Montgomery product estimated he's 85 percent healthy. It was also obvious on the field that was it for his Alabama career. Time wasn't on his side again.
"That's why I took it upon myself to walk off that field on my own," Hamilton said, "because I knew that was going to be my last time walking off Bryant-Denny Stadium."
Flanked by trainers, the middle linebacker took the emotional walk from the sideline toward the Alabama locker room.
Tears flowed.
Head trainer Jeff Allen grabbed his arm for comfort.
Hamilton said there was too much coursing through his head to remember his internal monologue from that devastating moment.
There was physical pain, though not quite what he experienced the previous December in the SEC Championship Game.
"After you tear your ACL, you'll be surprised how smaller injuries don't really affect you," Hamilton said. "This is a serious injury, but in my eyes, it's a small injury. Once you recover from a torn ACL in six or seven months, a torn ACL is a walk in the park."
From that point forward, Hamilton played the role of coach. He was on the practice field limping around soon after the required surgery.
A year earlier, Hamilton had to watch his team lose in the final seconds of the national title game against Clemson. Again, he found himself on the sideline in early January anxiously watching his team powerless at least physically.
Hamilton remembers standing on the end of the Alabama sideline watching Andy Pappanastos' last-second kick hoping to celebrate only to remain in place. Shifting to the other end, the injured linebacker had a good view for what turned out to be the final snap of Alabama's overtime win over Georgia.
"Nobody saw the second and 26 coming," Hamilton recalled almost two months later. I know I didn't."
With it, came an unbridled celebration.
Call it an involuntary reaction built up over two injury-spoiled postseasons.
Hamilton hopped on one leg toward the Alabama dog pile after DeVonta Smith caught Tau Tagovailoa's first and only pass of overtime.
"The crazy thing I wasn't cleared to be running or jumping or anything and I came so close to risking it all from being so caught up in the moment."
In an instant, like with the injury, Hamilton's Alabama career was officially over. No solemn limp back to the locker room like the one in Tampa a year earlier.
"They sent me out with a bang," a smiling Hamilton said Saturday.
Michael Casagrande | mcasagrande@al.com
Stories behind Alabama LB's tearful final Bryant-Denny exit, 1-foot championship outburst
