Rolling into the New York Stock Exchange on a scooter Friday afternoon, Tua Tagovailoa had that same confident smile.

The extra equipment was a reminder of the hurdle he faces to play in the Dec. 29 Orange Bowl semifinal with Oklahoma. A high-ankle sprain suffered Saturday in the SEC Championship is the talk of Heisman Eve interviews and Alabama’s quarterback had a simple message.

“All I know is I will be back for the game,” Tagovailoa said Friday afternoon before ringing the final bell on Wall Street.

Doing the awards circuit this week, Alabama head athletic trainer Jeff Allen is Tagovailoa’s shadow.

“I’m feeling a lot better,” Tagovailoa said. “Thank God we have Jeff Allen.”

Pressed further on the quick turnaround from surgery to the playoff, Tagovailoa’s answer never changed.

“I should be good by the time the game comes,” he said. “It’s a matter of when I’m going to play and when I start to practice.”

Nick Saban on Wednesday repeated the time table for a return to practice from the injury suffered Dec. 1.

“The procedure they did usually takes two weeks for a guy to be able to have any explosive movement, and then they go from there,” Saban said Wednesday in Atlanta. “So, we'll see how he progresses from there. But we're pleased with the progress that he's made to this point.”

Michael Casagrande is an Alabama beat writer for the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @ByCasagrande or on Facebook.