Video: Geno Smith emotional after Seahawks win over the Rams

Geno Smith helped the Seattle Seahawks cap off an overtime win to take down the Los Angeles Rams in what was part of a two-step process to clinching the final NFC Wild Card spot in this year’s NFL playoffs.

It was a phenomenal year for one of the leading candidates for the NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award, as he threw for 30 touchdowns, set the franchise record for passing yards in a season (4,282) and completion percentage (69.8%), and earned Seattle a postseason birth in a year where virtually nobody expected them to be anything more than an afterthought after the Russell Wilson trade.

After Sunday’s win over the Rams it was easy to see how emotional Smith was, who really opened up for the first time all year about how much this season meant to him.

“It took a lot of heart,” Smith said. “I’m just thankful man. Just thankful for god. I feel like I’m about to break down. It’s just team ball, hard fought, crowd was rocking. The Rams played their ass off. We had to pull it out—it was ugly, we found a way!”

You know his story by now. Fizzled out with the Jets, spent time as a backup quarterback with both the Giants and Chargers before spending three seasons in Seattle as Wilson’s backup, then getting his opportunity and capitalizing on every bit of it.

He still hasn’t written back.