Jalen Hurts Takes Home Hardware

Jalen Hurts, former Alabama signal caller, took home the trophy for Big 12 Male Athlete of the Year this offseason, becoming the third Oklahoma quarterback to win it in the last three seasons.  Jalen Hurts, who transferred from Alabama following the 2018 season, found great success in the fast paced Lincoln Riley offense, leading his team to a College Football Playoff berth.

Hurts, who struggled to find success in the passing game at Alabama, threw for 3,851 yards and rushed for over a thousand in his senior year at Oklahoma.  He led the Sooners to a 12-1 record entering the College Football Playoff where they met a Joe Burrow led LSU team that was able to dismantle the high octane offense and exploit the defense, leading to a 63-28 loss for Oklahoma.  Hurts also managed to finish second in Heisman voting, ultimately losing out to Joe Burrow.

Despite a relatively low draft stock for his level of production, Hurts was scooped up in the second round by the Philadelphia Eagles.  It is yet to be seen whether Hurts will find a role in Philadelphia's offense this season, but with the traits and talent he has it's hard to imagine him not fitting in somewhere.

Alabama fans everywhere should have a special place in their heart for Jalen Hurts and all that he gave to the program.  Hurts helped Alabama transition into the modern era of football, and helped the team when they needed him most.  I'll always cherish watching Jalen Hurts crush Georgia fans everywhere with a 15 yard scramble to seal the win for Alabama in 2018.