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HOT: Jalen Hurts finally has his say on quarterback situation
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Jalen Hurts’ mother, Pamela Hurts, became the latest to sound off on Alabama’s quarterback conversation, coming to her son’s defense on a Facebook fan page Saturday evening.
“Wow! Ignorance is bliss,” Pamela posted to the page. “When has Jalen ever spoken to media about anything other than the team? When has he ever whined, pouted or talked about what “y’all “ don’t know takes place behind the scenes? There’s a reason why players aren’t allowed to speak to the media. Jalen spoke his truth, finally, after 3 years of being compliant and controlled. You have no idea what is and has been going on— and most likely, never will.”
Pamela’s remarks come following Jalen’s first media appearance since the national championship game in January. Saturday, the junior quarterback voiced his displeasure with how Alabama handled the media after he was benched during the second half of the Crimson Tide’s comeback victory over Georgia.
“This whole experience, ever since the (national championship game) they kind of let it play out. They kind of just didn’t think it was a thing, that y’all would let it die down like there wasn’t something there regardless of the elephant in the room,” Jalen said. “For me, no one came up to me the whole experience, coaches included. No one asked me how I felt. No one asked me what was on my mind. No one asked me how I felt about the things that were going on. Nobody asked me about my future, none of that. So now it’s like when we are kind of trying to mend the situation now it’s kind of late. It’s too late.”
That drew plenty of criticism from Alabama fans who criticized the quarterback, calling him selfish and soft.
Pamela responded several times on the fan page, hitting back at some of the attacks by questioning if fans would react the same way if it were their child in such a position.
“Folks quick to speak highly of his character & demeanor, but now he is completely opposite of all of those accolades today,” Pamela posted. “If you can turn on this young man today for speaking and not your president for any of his rhetoric, you were never for him to begin with."
Earlier this summer, Jalen’s father, Averion Hurts, made headlines when he claimed his son would become “the biggest free agent in college football history” if he were to lose the quarterback battle to Tua Tagovailoa. That sparked a chain of transfer rumors and even led Hurts to approach Nick Saban to reassure his head coach he’d be returning this season.
“I told him in June that I’d be here. It was never a decision that needed to be made in regards to me leaving,” Jalen said. “That was something the general media kind of placed on me, something I never said. With that, I told him, ‘Like I told you already, I’ll be here.' I’m about to graduate in January, so why leave? Even when I’m not in a situation where I think I should leave, I don’t get it. Why do that when I’m 15 credit hours away from graduating?”
Saturday, Hurts expressed frustration with being unable to voice his own opinion on the matter.
“(Alabama) didn’t want me to talk for whatever reason,” Hurts said. “I get the opportunity to speak now, and I’ve always tried to handle situations like this and handle speaking the best way I can. At the end of the day, I’m a representative of myself and a representative of my family back home.”
In one of her posts later in the day, Pamela stated her son’s actions aren’t tied to her or her husband and that he has always been free to make his own decisions.
“For those who think I am complaining, and his dad is in his ear...You just don't get it,” Pamela posted. “Simply speaking on how people defame you when they don't agree with or understand you. Shows how much you really don't know about Jalen. The coaching staff are the only people that tell him what to do. He's his own man.”
Alabama will have the day off Sunday before returning to the field Monday for its third practice of preseason camp.
