"He's been in a lot of tough circumstances": When Nick Saban hailed Jalen Hurts's character before Eagles debut

Jalen Hurts spent the first three years of his collegiate football career playing for Nick Saban's Alabama Crimson Tide. Hurts was an undisputed starter in his first two seasons in Bama, before he was relegated to the bench in his third season with the program.

Jalen Hurts faced great competition for the starting quarterback role at Alabama in the 2018 season, but eventually lost the QB1 spot to Tua Tagovailoa. In December 2020, Saban spoke about Jalen Hurts taking over from Carson Wentz as the starting quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles.

"The guy's got great character," Saban said. "He's as fine a person as we've ever had in the program. He's a very good leader. He's a hard worker, he's well-liked by his teammates, and winning was important to him."

"I think he probably went through a much more difficult circumstance here in terms of being 26-2 as a starter, and then somebody else started in his place. Then he had to take that person's place in the SEC Championship game, and go in and win the game," the legendary coach added. "So, he's been in a lot of tough circumstances, and he's been very supportive ... This is a guy that's easy to fall in love with."

Jalen Hurts left the Crimson Tide after the 2018 college football season. He joined the Oklahoma Sooners and thrived under the guidance of Lincoln Riley. Hurts led the Sooners to the Peach Bowl and placed second in Heisman Trophy voting behind LSU's Joe Burrow. The Philadelphia Eagles liked what they saw from the Bama product, and drafted him late in the second round of the 2020 draft.

How has Jalen Hurts fared so far in the NFL?

Jalen Hurts has evolved into one of the best dual-threat QBs in the modern NFL. The former Alabama Crimson Tide and Oklahoma Sooners standout has helped turn the Philadelphia Eagles into perennial Super Bowl contenders.

Hurts has been instrumental in guiding the Eagles to two Super Bowl games in his first five years as a pro. They lost the first one against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs but got their revenge in the most recent Super Bowl game.

Hurts is renowned for his quick decision-making, running ability, and proficiency in the tush push. These skills have made him a steady threat, capable of throwing over 20 touchdowns each season and rushing for over 10 TDs in the same campaign.