When Jalen Hurts recalled his 100% real reaction to being benched for Tua Tagovailoa in 2018

Jalen Hurts had an astonishing start to his career at Alabama. He began the 2016 season as a backup to Blake Barnett. However, he was named the starter in the second game of the season, becoming Alabama's first true freshman starting quarterback in 32 years.

He led Alabama to the national championship game as a freshman, but the Crimson Tide fell to Clemson. Hurt repeated the feat as a sophomore as Alabama came up against Georgia in the national title. However, a moment that changed his career forever occurred in the game.

With the Crimson Tide losing 13-0 at halftime, Jalen Hurts was substituted for true freshman Tua Tagovailoa, who eventually led the team to victory in overtime. Tagovailoa became the starter in the 2018 season, and Hurts transferred to Oklahoma for the 2019 season.

In an interview with ESPN ahead of the 2020 NFL draft, Hurts was questioned about his feelings when Nick Saban told him he wouldn't continue the Georgia game. He had a bold reply to the question.

“I'm a competitor,” Hurts said (Timestamp: 1:45). “I would love to come back in the game and bring the team back like I've done many times before. But it happened the way it did, and we're national champions at the end of it."

He was further questioned about his feelings about Saban's decision.

“You put emotions to the side," Hurts said (Timestamp: 2:05). "Me being emotional, what good would that have done to the guys around me? The joy of being able to hold up a national championship trophy and achieve that goal as a team, regardless of how I got there, it's a joyful moment.”

Jalen Hurts' comments on the lessons learned in his career at Alabama

There were a lot of lessons to learn from Jalen Hurts’ career at Alabama. From winning the starting role as a freshman to losing it in his junior season, it was much of a learning process.

The national championship game story repeated itself on the flip side the following season in the SEC title game. Playing once again against Georgia, Tua Tagovailoa got injured, and Hurts went on to lead the team to the title. He explained what that felt like to him.

“I think that whole entire deal, from my freshman year, my sophomore year, to my junior year, taught me so much wisdom,” Hurt said (Timestamp: 3:00). "To never lose faith, whatever it is. I'm born for that storm. I'm built to overcome it.”

Following his junior season at Alabama, Jalen Hurts transferred to Oklahoma for his final season of eligibility in college football. He led the Sooners to the Big 12 championship and a place in the College Football Playoff. He finished second in the Heisman voting behind winner Joe Burrow from LSU.