Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was born in 1998 and grew up a Dallas Cowboys fan. That was well after the peak of the once-heated rivalry. Although, both teams' fans can still appreciate a victory over the other.
"I grew up as a Cowboys fan," Tagovailoa said. "Yeah, I'm a Dallas fan."
Tagovailoa, who grew up in Hawaii and has family in California, was reminded about the Cowboys-49ers rivalry, which used to be a bigger deal.
"Exactly," Tagovailoa responded. "I don't like the Niners as much."
The last 49ers victory over the Cowboys came in 2014 when San Francisco won 28-17 at AT&T Stadium. The two teams have met twice since then (2016, 2017). Both matchups took place at Levi's Stadium with the Cowboys coming out on top in each game.
Tagovailoa, a sophomore, will try to lead the Crimson Tide to their second straight national title and third in four years. He passed for 3,671 yards with 41 touchdowns compared to just four interceptions this season. Tagovailoa won the Walter Camp Award and Maxwell Award for 2018, both of which are awarded to the top player in college football.