He will not talk about it, but Jalen Hurts was made for the biggest lights.
As a coach’s son, he has been physically and mentally preparing for Sunday’s moment since enrolling at the University of Alabama at 17. He grew up weightlifting, watching his brother excel in high school, earning awards in football and powerlifting, and gaining knowledge from his father about handling adversity in challenging situations.
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Most teenagers would focus on their senior prom and enjoy high school, but Hurts had confidence, wisdom, and a work ethic beyond his years. He was one of the first players to arrive on the Crimson Tide’s campus as a four-star in the 2016 recruiting class.
Hurts had veteran names in front of him (Cooper Bateman, David Cornwell) and a second-year quarterback (Blake Barnett) that most Alabama fans expected to win the starting quarterback. Hurts was not affected by any of it as he embraced his role of preparing the Crimson Tide’s defense for Clemson’s quarterback, Deshaun Watson. As young as he was, the native Texan gave Alabama its best look of Watson and helped it earn a 45-40 victory in the 2016 College Football Playoff National Championship Game. Hurts would take the following spring to prove he was Alabama’s best option at quarterback. He was the lone signal-caller to toss a touchdown pass in the spring game, and his growth was so impressive during summer workouts and fall camp that he earned a chance to play in the Tide’s season opener versus the University of Southern California in 2016.
Hurts’ take over as Alabama’s quarterback was like the Jackson Five on tour. He mesmerized fans each week with his ability to make plays. Hurts reset the school’s record book for total touchdowns (36), won SEC’s Offensive Player of the Year, and captured SEC’s Freshman of the Year. Hurts paced the Tide to an SEC Championship, a Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl victory (CFP Semifinal), and an appearance in the CFP National Championship Game. He came close to winning a national championship as a freshman, but what happened the following season would mold him into the leader he became. Hurts took the Tide to the CFP national title game in 2017, where it faced Georgia in the 2018 matchup. He did not have his best performance in the first half, and Nick Saban decided to go to Tua Tagovailoa. The freshman took center stage, owned the moment, and rescued Alabama to a national championship. People tried to make Hurts versus Tagovailoa into a controversy, but he remained in good spirits.
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It hurt him to be a backup, but he embraced the role in 2018. He got another shot in the SEC Championship to remind college football of who he is. Hurts replaced Tagovailoa in the second half against Georgia, leading the Tide to a 35-28 comeback victory.
He led Oklahoma to the CFP as a transfer in 2019, becoming a Heisman finalist.
He did not become a first-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, but facing adversity has Hurts on the biggest stage in his sport.
As a third-year quarterback, he is in Super Bowl LVII for the Philadelphia Eagles. He became a finalist for the Most Valuable Player in the National Football League and Offensive Player of the Year from the Associated Press. Hurts has grown from a scout-team quarterback in 2016 to possibly become the first Tide quarterback of the Saban era to win a Super Bowl.
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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.
