Nick Saban recalls game changing moment of 2018 National Championship when Tua Tagovailoa replaced Jalen Hurts - "It wasn't an emotional decision"

A name that resonates with great success in the world of CFB is Nick Saban, who holds the record for producing the most first-round NFL draft picks as a head coach. In the 2021 NFL draft alone, Alabama, under his guidance, saw six of its players picked in the first round.

One of the turning points in Saban's coaching career came during the 2018 National Championship clash. The Crimson Tide, Saban’s team, was trailing 13-0 at halftime against the formidable Georgia Bulldogs. Jalen Hurts, the starting quarterback, was struggling, completing only 3 of 8 passes for a mere 21 yards.

In a game-altering choice, Saban replaced Hurts with freshman Tua Tagovailoa. This wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment decision, as Saban later revealed in an interview released by NFL Films.

“If we're going to have a chance to win this game, we need to give this guy (Tagovailoa) a chance,” said Nick Saban.

He explained that it was a calculated one, knowing what he needed to do to win the game.

“It wasn’t like an emotional, in-the-moment decision. It was calculated, based on progression through the season and an improvement of a young player, knowing his (Tagovailoa) skill set vs. knowing what we need to do to win the game.”

This strategic move paid off handsomely, leading to Alabama’s fifth National Championship victory within nine years under Saban’s leadership.

Jason Taylor, a Hall of Fame defensive end, praised Saban’s understanding of his players.

"Nick Saban knows Jalen Hurts better than anybody… he knows that Tua understands that it’s Jalen’s team right now… he knows all those personalities and how they mesh because he’s got his thumb on everything.”

Nick Saban reaffirmed his trust in Jalen Hurts

SEC Championship - Alabama v Georgia

Despite being replaced by Tua Tagovailoa in the 2018 CFP National Championship, Jalen Hurts demonstrated his resilience and readiness in the next season’s SEC title game. When Tagovailoa was injured, Hurts stepped in.

Coming off the bench in the fourth quarter, Hurts passed for one touchdown and ran for another in that memorable game. He rallied the No. 1 Alabama to a 35-28 victory over No. 4 Georgia for the Southeastern Conference.

Coach Nick Saban expressed his faith in Hurts, saying:

“We’ve always had a lot of faith in Jalen and I told him when we put him in, when Tua got hurt, ‘it’s your time’ and he certainly took advantage of it… I’m so proud of this guy for what he’s done this year, I can’t even tell you.”

This flashback story indeed serves as a testament to the resilience of the players and the strategic genius of coach Nick Saban.