CJ Allen still remembers shedding that tear.

He had just gotten the news from his high school coach that Georgia wanted to evaluate him in person. That's far from a guaranteed offer, but the phone call still struck Allen hard.

People had long doubted him as a single-A player from a small town in middle Georgia. On that day, Allen knew he had taken the first step on the road to eventually being an inside linebacker for the Bulldogs.

"Being able to play for my hometown, just being able to play for the national champions, I feel like it’s just the best thing," Allen said. "It doesn’t get better than that, being able to be a part of your home state team. Those are dreams."