A dream fulfilled

All it took was one play for Mark Ingram Sr. to turn around the biggest game of his career, Super Bowl XXV.
Faced with third and long inside Buffalo territory during the third quarter of the contest, New York Giants quarterback Jeff Hostetler completed a short pass across the middle to Ingram, primarily in an attempt to get his team in position to at least kick a field goal.
The slippery New York receiver had other ideas however, turning what seemingly would wind up a field goal attempt into a drive-saving play, eluding tackles by several Bills defenders before making a last-second lunge for the markers and a first down.
It was only a matter of inches, but that's all it took for the Giants to continue a drive that saw them consume more than eight minutes of game time, ending with an O.J. Anderson 1-yard touchdown run to give New York a 17-12 lead in the contest.
New York would eventually win its second Super Bowl title, needing every second to down Buffalo, 20-19.
If only life could had proven as easy for Ingram as that pivotal play.
Waiting to be formally sentenced on bank fraud and money laundering charges, Ingram was captured as a fugitive early this year. He now faces 10 years behind bars.
Having to share the remote with fellow inmates at a New York City jail, it likely was difficult for him to consistently watch his son, Mark Jr., become one of college football's top players at Alabama. But from the few portions he was able to see, it is likely he saw a lot of himself out there on the gridiron.
Blessed with breakaway speed, power and balance making him hard for even the biggest of linemen to bring down, Mark Jr.'s sophomore season was one to remember in the "Heart of Dixie," setting Alabama rushing records and helping the Crimson Tide to a 12-0 record and the program's first SEC title since 1998.
As with all good players, Mark Jr.'s best performances usually came when his team needed him most.
Struggling to put points on the board against a stout South Carolina defense the running back put the Tide on his back.
On that drive, Mark Jr. carried the ball six plays in a row — most in the "Wildcat" formation — leading 'Bama 68 yards down the field en route to a touchdown sealing a 20-6 victory over the Gamecocks.
He also came up big in a SEC Championship game rematch with rival Florida, gashing what was then the nation's top ranked defense for 189 total yards. The Tide won the game 32-13, earning a trip to the National Championship Game vs. Texas next month in Pasadena, Calif.
Such clutch performances against top notch competition were likely enough to put Mark Jr. over the top in the eyes of Heisman Trophy voters, making him the 75th member of college football's elite fraternity.
He is Alabama's first Heisman winner, accomplishing a feat Tide greats like Bart Starr, Joe Namath, Ken Stabler, Jay Barker, Shaun Alexander and others failed to do in their time in Tuscaloosa.
While his son was standing at the podium in New York City last weekend accepting college football's highest honor, I wonder whether Mark Sr. flashed back more than a decade ago to when his son said "Dad, I'm going to become a better player than you."
For most fathers, the goal is for their children to exceed everything they did during their lifetime. Tears of joy likely flowed from the eyes of Mark Sr. Saturday night, knowing his son's wildest dreams had been fulfilled.