“That day made me who I am” - Jalen Hurts once got candid on getting benched by Tua Tagovailoa in National Championship Game for Alabama
Jalen Hurts and Tua Tagovailoa are two of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. Hurts recently helped the Philadelphia Eagles make a Super Bowl appearance, while Tagovailoa helped the Miami Dolphins reach the playoffs.
Prior to their successful NFL careers, the two were teammates with the Alabama Crimson Tide. Their professional careers will likely always be intertwined due to their past.
While Tua Tagovailoa initially served as a backup to Jalen Hurts in Alabama, their roles changed at the most pivotal time of the 2018 season. Hurts was benched at halftime of the National Championship Game against the Georgia Bulldogs in favor of Tagovailoa.
Alabama trailed Georgia 13-0 at halftime, leading coach Nick Saban to make the switch to the unproven Tagovailoa, despite Hurts being the quarterback who got them to the game in the first place.
It turned out that Saban made the right decision as Tagovailoa led an epic comeback to earn a 26-23 victory.
Hurts reflected on the game in an interview with Tom Rinaldi about a year later.
"You know, when have you ever seen a guy that only loses two games in two years as a starter, goes to two National Championships, wins all these awards as a true freshman, then ends up losing his job? That’ll probably never happen again in the history of college football."
When asked about his reaction to the substitution, Hurts admitted Saban made the right call.
“We gotta win the game. One way or another. I’m always going to be a team guy. Coach, he made the decision that he made, and we were national champions. I’ll be able to say that for the rest of my life ... That day made me who I am. I wouldn’t change it for the world."
Hurts didn't appear to have any hard feelings about being benched for Tagovailoa, but instead used it as motivation. He remained with Alabama for one more season before transferring to the Oklahoma Sooners to finish his college football career.
Jalen Hurts revived his college football career in Oklahoma after leaving Alabama
After serving as a backup for Tua Tagovailoa for a year, Jalen Hurts transferred to Oklahoma for the 2019 season. He seized the opportunity to be a starter, putting together an incredible year.
He finished in second place in the Heisman Trophy voting, trailing only Joe Burrow of the LSU Tigers. Burrow had arguably the greatest quarterback season in college football history that year.
Jalen Hurts' strong performance in his final season also earned him a second-round selection by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2020 NFL draft. He helped the team reach the Super Bowl in his third season, earning a massive contract extension in the offseason.
His five-year deal worth $255 million represents the highest AAV in NFL history.