Tua Tagovailoa walked into the pre-Heisman news conference with a few new accessories and minus a few others.

The two leis around his neck were flown in for Hawaii specifically for the big night. On his left foot was just a normal dress shoe. The protective boot and famous scooter are now gone from his look six days after surgery on his high ankle sprain.

“I actually got cleared,” Tagovailoa said. “Our head trainer, Jeff Allen talked to the doctor and the doctor cleared me. It shows we have tremendous progress in our treatment.”

This follows the traditional timeline of treatment and there’s no risk of injuring the ankle by shedding the boot at this point. Tagovailoa didn’t appear to be limping as he left the news conference.

Less than two hours before the ceremony began, Tagovailoa said the nerves had not set in. He said he didn’t have a speech written but had a few bullet points he wants to address if he gets the opportunity.

There are no big party plans if he were to take the trophy. The large family presence in New York would probably just hang out in the room.

Tagovailoa’s first trip to the city hasn’t included much sightseeing. There’s been medical treatment on the left ankle and plenty of media events. Instead of dining at one of New York’s top restaurants, Tagovailoa opted for room service.

Pepperoni pizza and maybe a little ice cream, he said was on the menu before what could be a monumental night in his life.

The ceremony begins at 7 p.m. CT on ESPN.

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