Two college football fan bases are fighting over who Jalen Hurts belongs to.
After his impressive playoff performance last week, Alabama fans and Oklahoma fans are in an uproar on social media about how Hurts belongs to them. David Cone shared a photo to Twitter of Hurts and Richard Todd. The post explained how Hurts is the first Alabama quarterback to win an NFL playoff game since Todd led the Jets over the Raiders in 1983.
Jalen Hurts is the first Alabama quarterback to win an NFL playoff game since Richard Todd led the Jets past the Raiders in the 1983. #NFLPlayoffs #Alabamafootball pic.twitter.com/4XQhx6JAuZ
— David Cone (@davidadamcone) January 22, 2023
Charlie Burris, host of A to Z Sports, responded with “Bama benched this dude and he went to Oklahoma and they’re trying to retroactively claim him now that he’s winning in the NFL.”
Bama benched this dude and he went to Oklahoma and they’re trying to retroactively claim him now that he’s winning in the NFL 😂😭 https://t.co/grAjosstdo
— Charlie Burris (@Charlie_Burris) January 22, 2023
Crimson Tide fans became irate at Burris while Oklahoma fans supported his post.
Alabama fans
You’re skipping the fact that Jalen claims bama too. He lead this team with class, handled everything that happened with class, stayed here to get better after being benched, and then used his last year to get drafted. Mutual respect both ways. We claim him and he claims bama
— TODD IS GONE🥳 (@B_Lowe5) January 22, 2023
1) you seem like a miserable person to hang out with
2) Jalen claims Bama, so we claim Jalen. It’s that simple. He literally nearly spent 3 years at Bama. Get over it, he is a Bama guy. Ask him for yourself— PJ Talley 🏀 (@pjtalley10) January 22, 2023
— Tucker Seal (@Tseal14) January 22, 2023
He has a 26-2 recored at bama and lead them too consecutive national championship games…not to mention he claims bama 😂😂
— 😎 (@keepsit1000) January 22, 2023
Jalen graduated from the University of Alabama
— Christopher Darling (@Guitar_Lefty) January 23, 2023
Hurts played at Bama for 3 seasons and graduated from UA. He started for 2 full seasons & has a big trophy case as starter and contributor (even in his final szn, he came off the bench and lead a comeback win vs UGA in the SEC championship). And he still reps Bama in public.
— Josh (@jayareff) January 23, 2023
Bama fans never stopped claiming him. They cheered for his success at ou.
— magical mama (@funny_layde) January 23, 2023
He literally went back and graduated from Alabama and wears Bama gear
— – (@diamondcsides) January 23, 2023
He won a NC at Bama. Hell I’d claim them too
— Bama Willy (@willhall79) January 22, 2023
He won a NC at Bama. Hell I’d claim them too
— Bama Willy (@willhall79) January 22, 2023
Jalen Hurts is a Bama guy: pic.twitter.com/iVdGfYEUqc
— Bebe 🐘 (@catluver13) January 22, 2023
Oklahoma fans
Irregardless on what anyone feels, his passing game was developed by LR & Drafted from OU. Some Bama fans & even some OU fans were saying he wouldn’t make it to NFL before his last season. His season at OU made him relevant again, where Bama left his stock plummeting
— Sooner McGavin (@TXisbackagain) January 22, 2023
Sooner all the way https://t.co/4XqYEi4yLT
— Kevin Smith (@Shmidy_Day) January 23, 2023
BOOMER! #OUDNA https://t.co/spOvxGfrqc
— Tristan Fluhr (@tristan_fluhr) January 23, 2023
Boomer Sooner. https://t.co/GZELuGZoyP
— laRen (@Laren53199066) January 23, 2023
Other fans
Alabama fans are the absolute worst. https://t.co/kFdbQXShoJ
— Kenneth Murphy (@MurphKJ1994) January 23, 2023
There was a bunch of fans who didn’t believe lol and I know a few lol https://t.co/WSqHnhGghM
— Jose Gonzalez (@josetwin94) January 23, 2023
Very Bama of them https://t.co/909ktcPWIt
— Zach (@zachfahey1) January 23, 2023
Nahhhhhh bama y’all made him transfer don’t try to claim him now you bums https://t.co/keTuHbYBIh
— Slim_Makadelic (@Batman_Mak) January 23, 2023
👀👀👀👀🍢🔥🔥🔥🔥 facts https://t.co/eof3ZLA3IE
— Ali (@AlizLEGACY) January 23, 2023
Hurts has credited both programs for developing him as a player and a man.
He had a helmet at the Reese’s Senior Bowl with both programs on it.
RELATED: LeBron James tweets out emphatic support for Jalen Hurts after stellar playoff performance
He speaks highly of Alabama and Oklahoma, though, he sounds like Coach Nick Saban when he talks. Hurts spent three years with the Tide from 2016 to 2018, earning several individual awards, two Southeastern Conference Championships, and a College Football Playoff National Championship. He came off the bench in the second half of the 2018 SEC Championship and delivered Alabama to a 35-28 victory. Hurts marched with his bachelor’s from the University of Alabama before transferring to Oklahoma.
He became a Heisman finalist with the Sooners in 2019, totaling 3,851 passing yards, 1,298 rushing yards, and 53 total touchdowns. Hurts led Oklahoma to a Big 12 Championship and a berth in the College Football Playoff.
Oklahoma fans say Alabama fans can’t claim Jalen Hurts because he left.
Alabama fans say Hurts spent his first three years in Tuscaloosa so they can.
He is cool with both schools and has a Super Bowl on his mind. Hurts is the leader in the NFL’s Most Valuable Player race. He’s turned in an impressive season with 38 total touchdowns. Hurts finished the regular season with 3,701 passing yards, ranking him tenth in the league among quarterbacks. Hurts will lead the Philadelphia Eagles against the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game this weekend.
Click here to follow the Bama Elite Podcast
*Get the BEST Alabama football insider information, message board access, and recruiting coverage today! SIGN UP HERE to unlock our subscriber-only content!*
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.
