Going into the College Football Playoff National Championship game, Nike was destined to come out on top, since the athletic brand sponsors both the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Clemson Tigers. But with Alabama nabbing the title, its name is attached to a historic win for the school and its coach, Nick Saban.
The Crimson Tide’s 45-40 win over the Tigers marks the fifth time Saban has won a national championship, his fourth as Alabama’s coach. Legendary coach Frank Leahy is the only other coach to win four national titles in a seven-year span.
But the game is played on the field, and Nike’s branding on the feet of Alabama’s star players saw the end zone six times on Monday night.
Running back Derrick Henry, who won the 2015 Heisman Trophy, capped his spectacular season last night by finding the end zone three times. The 6-foot-3, 242-pound junior rushed for 158 yards on 36 carries, while 6-foot-6 junior tight end O.J. Howard crossed the goal line twice. Howard led the team in receiving on Monday, accumulating 208 yards on five receptions. The swoosh also took flight to enter the end zone with a diving Kenyan Drake crossing the pylon on a 95-yard kick return in the fourth quarter.
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