Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts will make the third and ultimate school announcement of his taking part in profession when Philadelphia takes on the Cowboys on “Sunday Night Football.”
The first got here in June 2015, when Hurts — then a Channelview (Texas) High School standout — named Alabama as his school vacation spot. The second got here three seasons later, when he introduced a resolution to switch to Oklahoma for his ultimate school soccer season.
Now, the third might settle a lengthy debate between followers of the Crimson Tide and Sooners: Will the previous second-round decide decide Alabama or Oklahoma throughout his participant introduction on “Sunday Night Football”?
“SNF,” in fact, permits starters to introduce themselves, their place and — most of the time — the school the place they performed prior to the NFL. (Other gamers have referred to their highschool or center college groups, their birthplace, or nothing in any respect).
MORE: NFL quarterback energy rankings: Jalen Hurts enters prime QB tier
Regardless, the “Sunday Night Football” sport between Philadelphia and Dallas would be the first of Hurts’ profession through which he’s the starter. So Alabama and Oklahoma followers each are seemingly to tune in and see whether or not he publicizes their college.
With that, The Sporting News seems to be on the arguments for Alabama and Oklahoma and extra forward of “Sunday Night Football”:
Alabama
| Year | Cmp-Att (Pct.) | Yards | TD-INT | Rush yards (TDs) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 240-382 (62.8) | 2,780 | 23-9 | 953 (13) |
| 2017 | 154-255 (60.4) | 2,081 | 17-1 | 854 (8) |
| 2018 | 51-70 (72.9) | 765 | 8-2 | 183 (2) |
Hurts started his school profession in Tuscaloosa, the place he performed from 2016 by means of 2018, grew to become the primary true freshman to begin for the Crimson Tide since 1984 and finally compiled a 26-2 document as a starter.
He started his collegiate profession with a bang, incomes SEC Offensive Player of the Year honors as a freshman. He led Alabama to a 14-1 document and last-second loss to Clemson within the 2017 College Football Playoff championship sport.
Hurts maintained the beginning function all through the 2017 season, once more guiding Alabama to the Playoff, the place the Crimson Tide confronted off in opposition to Georgia within the championship sport. After the sophomore struggled in opposition to the Bulldogs within the first half, Nick Saban made the choice to bench Hurts in favor of true freshman Tua Tagovailoa.
The Crimson Tide finally prevailed after Tagovailoa sparked a second-half comeback, and Hurts by no means began one other sport in Tuscaloosa. But his Alabama profession wasn’t over: Hurts stayed in Tuscaloosa for the 2018 season, gaining additional improvement as a passer below quarterback coach Dan Enos.
Hurts loved some spotlight moments in his ultimate yr at Alabama, together with a touchdown in his final pass in Bryant-Denny Stadium. The following sport, he changed an injured Tagovailoa within the SEC championship in opposition to Georgia — in the identical stadium the place he was benched a season prior — to lead two scoring drives in a Crimson Tide victory.
A Nick Saban interview making us cry is essentially the most stunning second from this sport.pic.twitter.com/fXVdWJSfya
— ??? ???????? ???? (@sportingnews) December 2, 2018
MORE: Why Nick Saban suggested Jalen Hurts to switch to Oklahoma over Maryland, Miami
Following the season, Hurts — who had already graduated from Alabama — introduced his resolution to switch to Oklahoma. Saban later revealed to the Eagles how he had steered Hurts select the Sooners:
“And I remember him coming into me and saying (he) could go to Miami because the quarterback coach had gone to Miami as the offensive coordinator — the quarterback coach here, Dan Enos,” Saban mentioned within the interview. “Mike Locksley received the top teaching job at Maryland. ‘I could go to Maryland or I could go to Oklahoma.’
“I mentioned ‘Jalen, where do they have the best players?’” Saban said. “Because he felt extra comfy going the place he knew these guys. And he mentioned, ‘Well, I think they got the best players at Oklahoma.’ I mentioned, ‘Well we simply performed them. I believe they received some fairly good gamers on offense too.’
I mentioned, ‘I’ve all the time informed you that quarterback is a exhausting place to play if you do not have good gamers round you. So if I used to be you, to create essentially the most worth — since you’ve received one yr to do it — if you could be the starter there, go the place they’ve one of the best gamers.’
Despite ending his school profession at Oklahoma, Hurts has been seen sporting Alabama gear within the Eagles locker room, and even spoke of his relationship with Saban in Week 4 in the course of the “ManningCast” of “Monday Night Football.”
.@JalenHurts see’s a lot of himself in Nick Saban pic.twitter.com/y9kFi49e9x
— Omaha Productions (@OmahaProd) October 4, 2022
Also of word — the room from the place Hurts appeared on “MNF” featured two work: one in every of him at Alabama, and one other the place he wore each Alabama and Oklahoma uniforms.
Jalen Hurts has a portray of his Oklahoma self patting his Alabama self on the helmet. pic.twitter.com/PxubfwTXXa
— Eagles Nation (5-0) (@PHLEaglesNation) October 4, 2022
MORE: How Jalen Hurts’ school progress from Alabama to Oklahoma factors to eventual NFL success
Oklahoma
| Year | Cmp-Att (Pct.) | Yards | TD-INT | Rush yards (TDs) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 237-340 (69.7) | 3,851 | 32-8 | 1,323 (23) |
Despite his improvement as a passer off the Alabama bench in 2018, many observers — Crimson Tide followers included — thought-about Hurts a extra athletically pushed quarterback who wished to run, as opposed to progressing by means of his reads.
His resolution to switch to Oklahoma proved he had skill as a passer. Indeed, Hurts arguably constructed his NFL draft inventory in Norman, the place he posted career-highs in 3,851 passing yards, 32 passing touchdowns, 1,323 speeding yards and 23 speeding scores.
Under former coach Lincoln Riley, Hurts grew to become the third consecutive Heisman Trophy finalist (following Kyler Murray and Baker Mayfield, each of whom received the award and went on to grow to be the highest general draft picks of their respective drafts).
“Being with Coach Riley, he’s always done phenomenal things with the quarterback, putting them in position to make plays,” Hurts mentioned of the previous Sooners coach.
Hurts once more led a convention championship run to the College Football Playoff. His collegiate profession ended within the 2019 CFP semifinal sport vs. top-seeded LSU. Four months later, in a distant 2020 NFL Draft, commissioner Roger Goodell had this to say when the Eagles drafted Hurts with the 53rd general decide within the second spherical:
“Jalen Hurts, quarterback, Oklahoma.”
MORE: Jalen Hurts’ switch to Oklahoma units up completely happy ending — for everyone
That wasn’t the top of Hurts’ connection to the Sooners, although. In his second yr, he switched from sporting No. 2 — the quantity he wore at Alabama — to No. 1, which he wore at Oklahoma. He had to wait for punter Cameron Johnston to depart earlier than leaping on it.
In explaining the choice, Hurts mentioned he appreciated the way in which No. 1 seemed on him whereas at Oklahoma:
“I always wore No. 2 but when I went to Oklahoma, obviously CeeDee Lamb wore No. 2, and he offered to give me the number but I didn’t want it, too much respect for him as a player so I ended up wearing No. 1 and I liked how it looked on me so I kept it,” Hurts said (via heavy.com). “So I told myself when I got drafted I would wear No. 1 before I wore No. 2 and my first year I had to wear No. 2 but I was just waiting for No. 1 to open up.”
That mentioned, Hurts mentioned “it means a lot” for him to see followers rocking his jersey — whether or not at Alabama, Oklahoma or Philadelphia.
“It’s surreal. I look back at fans at Alabama, I can turn on the game right now and see people wearing No. 2 jerseys and at Oklahoma, they’re wearing the No. 1 Hurts jersey only being a year there. And in the City of Philadelphia, I see so many kids wearing the 1 jersey, even the 2 jersey, and it means a lot. It means a lot.”
Channelview
There is a non-zero likelihood that Hurts chooses neither Alabama or Oklahoma in his “SNF” introduction. He might additionally checklist Channelview, Texas, the place he grew to become one of many nation’s most coveted recruits at quarterback.
According to MaxPreps, Hurts accomplished 216 of 364 passes (59.3 %) for 3,523 yards and 33 touchdowns to seven interceptions within the 2014 and 2015 soccer seasons. He additionally had 198 carries for 1,747 (8.8 yards per carry) and 34 extra scores.
Hurts used his skill at Channelview to grow to be the No. 192 general participant within the 2016 recruiting class, per 247Sports’ Composite rankings. He was the No. 4 dual-threat quarterback and the No. 29 participant within the state of Texas.
Regardless of which he chooses, Hurts has established himself because the unquestioned chief for the Eagles — and a particular place in Channelview, Alabama and Oklahoma historical past.
story by The Texas Tribune Source link