He carries the state of Texas on his back this weekend.
What began as a tropical storm has resulted in eight deaths, 30,000 people in need of shelter and massive flooding in Houston, Dallas and Corpus Christi.
A number of photos and videos have surfaced on social media concerning the devastation that mirrors what happened 12 years ago with Hurricane Katrina.
Regardless of the storm forever being pegged as the worst natural cause, the situation with Hurricane Harvey hits close to home for one Alabama player – Jalen Hurts. Hurts, a native of Channelview, Texas, thought on nothing but family, friends and the issue at hand during his media viewing period as the Tide prepares for Florida State.
“My family is good and that is a blessing,” Hurts said today. “My house hasn’t been damaged. My street hasn’t really had a lot of flooding, but everything around it is pretty bad.”
As far as his parents are concerned in regards to watching him play Saturday night versus the Seminoles at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Hurts quietly responded with ‘we’ll see.’
“The freeway is dead,” he said.
“A lot of that is shut down. There are a lot of rescue boats out and people on boats. I’d rather for them to be safe than to come to my game. We have electricity so they can watch it on TV.”
Even with carrying Texas in prayer, Hurts said the team is focused on FSU.
“I’ll be definitely playing for them on Saturday,” he said. “But, this is Florida State week. It’s opening week this week. As a team, we know what we have in front of us. We got to get ready.”
Tide fans can empathize with Hurts because Tuscaloosa remembers a deadly tornado that happened on April 27, 2011. The natural disaster claimed lives, possessions and businesses; nevertheless, Alabama football turned it into the city being a part of a national championship.
Stephen M. Smith is the managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @Smsmith_TDALMag.
