Hurts says he has learned from past, ready to compete is
ATLANTA Jalen Hurts knows what to expect when he takes the field Monday night during the national championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Last season, as a true freshman, Hurts reached this same, elite stage. He led the Crimson Tide to the precipice of a national championship, only to watch Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. Watson led the Tigers to a thrilling, lastminute 35-31 victory.
One year later, Hurts knows what he needs to do to help the Tide push to win a national championship.
“You have to approach it just like the others as far as preparation, it’s the same,” Hurts said Saturday during media day. “You just want to be as prepared as possible and be ready to play. Just win. Our job is to win and [I’ll] try my best to lead the team to a win.”
Alabama running back Damien Harris has seen his young teammate grow by leaps and bounds since falling in the title game last year in Tampa.
“The biggest thing I’ve noticed from Jalen is his leadership,” Harris said of Hurts, who enters Monday’s game with a 24-2 record as a starter. “Obviously last year he led by example. He led based on his athletic ability and things he could do on the field. But over the past year, I’ve seen him develop into a vocal leader.
“A guy who isn’t afraid to stand up in team meetings, a guy who isn’t afraid to voice his opinions or call people out for not preparing or practicing to the standard of what we want to do around here. I think that’s the biggest thing, the signs of a true leader.”
Harris said Hurts’ maturity has cemented his status as one of the Tide’s true leaders.
“People forget he’s not even 20 years old yet,” the junior tailback said with a laugh. “I think growing up.”
Hurts has come a long way since becoming the first freshman quarterback to start under Nick Saban. The quarterback’s work ethic has distinguished him, especially in the eyes of his first-year offensive coordinator.
“This is a young man that works extremely hard both in the classroom and football-wise. He tries to do the right thing,” Alabama offensive coordinator Brian Daboll said when asked what some of the first things he noticed about his quarterback.
Hurts’ performance during the 2017 season also earned praise from his opponent.
“He’s a complete quarterback. He can do it all. He’s shown that week-in and week-out,” Georgia defensive coordinator Mel Tucker said of Hurts. “The throws that he makes from the pocket, the throws he makes outside of the pocket when he improvises and makes things happen when he’s just plays break down, designed quarterback runs and just poise and being a leader and the competitive toughness he has it all.”
Georgia All-American linebacker Roquan Smith knows if the Bulldogs hope to contain Hurts, they’ll have to make him one-dimensional.
“We want to keep the guy in the pocket. If you can’t keep the guy in the pocket, he can definitely create some problems for your defense, because once he gets out of the pocket he’s more like a running back,” Smith said of Hurts, who ranks second in career rushing yards by an Alabama quarterback with 1,762.
Alabama coach Nick Saban said Hurts has made progress at the position, so much so that the staff has added more and more offensive plays to their young signal caller.
But like any praise by Saban, it comes with a caveat.
“There’s certainly still work to do there for us and for him and our entire offense in terms of being efficient and effective when it comes to creating that kind of balance on offense,” Saban said.
There’s room for Hurts to grow. He struggles with his passing efficiency (61 percent) and he’s not very good with the deep throw, but his touchdown-to-interception ratio is outstanding at 17-to-1.
Hurts, who grew up in Channelview, Texas, is counting on experience to help guide him, but he says he won’t let disappointment over failing to win last year’s national championship impact his performance Monday night.
“I think everything happens for a reason,” he said.
mmurschel@ orlandosentinel.com