Former Alabama QB Jalen Hurts relishes his favorite college football memory: "I was playing Deshaun Watson on the scout team"
Jalen Hurts had a college football career filled with comebacks and strong performances. However, those are not the moments he relishes when recalling his time with the Alabama Crimson Tide.
During a Q&A session this week with Eagles fans, the current quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles was asked about his favorite memory from his collegiate days, to which he replied:
"My favorite college football memory was the beginning of it all, when I early enrolled. Immediately, I was thrust into being the scout-team quarterback as like a senior in high school. Essentially, I was the scout-team quarterback. I was playing Deshaun Watson on the scout team."
During the mid to late 2010s, Jalen Hurts and the Alabama Crimson Tide had a rivalry with Deshaun Watson and the Clemson Tigers, which reached its finale in two national championship games.
Hurts played an impactful role as the scout-team quarterback for Alabama, particularly in the 2016 national championship game against the Tigers. This forced the young athlete to quickly adapt to the ways of college football.
“I learned a lot quick. I earned my respect that quick, but it was very challenging. But it was fun. I think that was probably the best part for me, my favorite memory, because I made a lot of good friends. I just earned their respect as a young’un.”
However, this all paid off in the end, as Alabama defeated Deshaun Watson and the Clemson Tigers 45-40 on Jan. 11, 2016.
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How did Jalen Hurts fare in the National Championship games he played in?
During Jalen Hurt's freshman year, he easily won the starting quarterback role. As a true freshman, he led Alabama back to another national championship game in 2017, facing Deshaun Watson.
Throughout most of the game, the Crimson Tide were leading, and Hurts was set to win a national championship in his first season. However, with one second left on the clock, Watson found Hunter Renfrow for a two-yard touchdown pass to deny Hurts the victory.
Jalen Hurts woes in the National Championship game were not isolated to this game. A year later, Alabama was in another championship game, this time against the Georgia Bulldogs. The Crimson Tide won the game, but Hurts was benched after a poor first half and replaced by Tua Tagovailoa. His time with the Crimson Tide would come to an end soon after.
What is your favorite Jalen Hurts college football memory?