He set records as a freshman, threw just one interception as a sophomore and took the University of Alabama to two College Football Playoff National Championship matchups, but apparently that’s not enough to keep people satisfied when it comes to third-year quarterback Jalen Hurts.
With all the excitement surrounding sophomore Tua Tagovailoa after the national title game, Averion Hurts, Sr – father of Jalen Hurts – set off a firestorm on Twitter when he came on the record with Bleacher Report on Tuesday in discussing the 2016 SEC Offensive Player of the Year.
Per Matt Hayes, Hurts told his son ‘you f—ked up, you opened the door and put yourself in this situation. Now it’s up to you to dig yourself out.’ The situation the elder Hurts is referring to was the first half versus Georgia where his son completed just three of eight pass attempts.
Alabama trailed Georgia 13-0 at halftime, before Tagovailoa took over in the second half and led the program to a 26-23 comeback victory in overtime. While Hurts’ father was reported in saying that Jalen would be ‘the biggest free agent in college football history’ if he was to leave Tuscaloosa (should he not start), the older brother of Hurts cleared the air on social media.
“Yeah, you’d be a fool to believe every thing that you read on the internet. Freaking click bait,” Averion Hurts (@YourFavorite_QB)
Following the former Texas Southern University signal-caller was Alabama rising junior linebacker, Lyndell “Mack” Wilson. Wilson, who came in the same recruiting class as Hurts, quoted the tweet with the statement: “I believe in all our quarterbacks.”
I believe in all our QB’s. https://t.co/1QBZskpzDh
— Mack Wilson Sr. (@5mackwilson1) April 19, 2018
Even sources close to Touchdown Alabama Magazine spoke on the situation, stating media perception has blown this out of proportion and that Hurts is focused on the spring game.
Aside from the national title game and a few moments against Auburn, Hurts has done everything possible to keep Alabama in position to win football games. Tagovailoa’s inability to participate in the spring game gives the native Texan a chance to re-write his own script.
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 @CoachingMSmith.
