Since deciding to remain at Alabama despite getting benched at halftime of last season’s national championship game, Jalen Hurts has garnered plenty of praise for his willingness to sacrifice for the team.

The guy who replaced him isn’t too bad in that department, either.

Tua Tagovailoa battled a lingering knee injury for the second half of this season only to take a few more lumps against Georgia in last Saturday’s SEC Championship Game. He struggled mightily until he was permanently sidelined with a high ankle sprain in the fourth quarter, which opened the door for Hurts to lead a legendary comeback.

But many believe Tagovailoa’s performance seriously harmed his once-runaway Heisman Trophy chances, which AL.com reporter Matt Zenitz reported to be a source of frustration for those near the Crimson Tide program. But Tagovailoa offered a selfless response on Twitter, claiming “it was never about that in the first place.”

As much as Alabama fans want Tagovailoa to take home the Heisman, they should respect his willingness to put the team first and play through pain. Even so, the Georgia game may not end up costing him college football’s most precious prize, though he did cede the Associated Press Player of the Year Award to Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray, his primary Heisman challenger.

However, it doesn’t seem like Tagovailoa spends too much time thinking about personal accolades.