Jalen Hurts will play within the largest recreation of his life on Sunday, Feb. 12. He is probably going not preoccupied with college spirit, amid a rising debate between followers of his two former alma maters, Oklahoma and Alabama, about which program claims the Philadelphia Eagles star quarterback.
Still, Hurts’ path from faculty to the NFL appears particularly related because the MVP and Offensive Player of the Year finalist gets set for an unbelievable Super Bowl begin in simply the third yr of his profession. Alabama soccer head coach Nick Saban offered his insight on Hurts’ tenure in Tuscaloosa and his loyalty to the Crimson Tide.
“He wanted to graduate from Alabama, so he was not going to transfer until he graduated,” Saban stated on an interview with The thirty third Team podcast, based on Touchdown Alabama’s Stephen M. Smith. “I said, ‘you need to work on becoming a better passer. You can’t just make plays with your feet. I want you to focus this season on reading coverages, being more instinctive with getting the ball out of your hands quickly, anticipating throws in windows, and understanding the passing game better.’”
It is protected to say Hurts took Saban’s recommendation and dramatically altered the notion scouts, pundits and followers all had of him. He began for Alabama from 2016-17 earlier than famously being benched by Tua Tagovailoa within the 2018 National Championship Game. Already an all-time traditional, the sport now serves as the muse of one of many nice underdog tales in current sports activities historical past.
Hurts did earn his diploma in communication and information sciences from Alabama, and in doing so performed back-up for many of the 2018 season. He reworked into an offensive juggernaut in Oklahoma, scoring 52 complete touchdowns. Saban’s affect and knowledge can’t be downplayed, however Hurts’ passing recreation took a monumental leap underneath Lincoln Riley.
Both applications had been integral within the Jalen Hurts journey. There is not any want for rivalry. “Boomer Sooner” and “Roll Tide” can each be exclaimed with out concern of struggle breaking out, at the least for the Super Bowl.
submit credit score to Source link