Jalen Hurts shouldn’t worry about getting benched when leading the Philadelphia Eagles into the Super Bowl next Sunday.
The quarterback’s second season at Alabama ended with Nick Saban sitting Hurts for Tua Tagovailoa, who led a comeback to win the College Football Playoff National Championship. After spending most of his junior year on the bench, Hurts transferred to Oklahoma and finished second in the 2019 Heisman Trophy voting.
Although Hurts left Tuscaloosa, Saban commended the quarterback’s NFL achievements.
“I can’t tell you how proud I am of seeing this guy in the Super Bowl, only because I know firsthand what he went through to get there,” Saban said in a video shared by The 33rd Team.
Saban said Hurts is “defined by his commitment to his development.” The head coach recalled telling Hurts to work on his pocket presence and anticipation to improve as a passer.
When Hurts decided to transfer, Saban said he encouraged the quarterback to choose Oklahoma instead of Miami or Maryland so he’d have a better supporting cast.
Saban was relieved he didn’t encounter Hurts in the College Football Playoff after he scored 52 touchdowns (32 passing, 20 rushing) for the Sooners in 2019. Oklahoma lost in the semifinal to Joe Burrow’s LSU Tigers, who defeated Alabama for the national championship.
While Hurts set a single-season NFL quarterback record (playoffs included) with 15 rushing touchdowns, the 24-year-old also made progress as a passer in his third season. Hurts averaged 8.0 yards per pass attempt while completing 66.5 percent of his throws.
Saban said he roots for his former players rather than any specific NFL teams. However, one would think he will support the Eagles over the Kansas City Chiefs on Feb. 12.
Along with Hurts, the Eagles roster fellow Alabama alum DeVonta Smith, Landon Dickerson, and Josh Jobe.
