TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The black, no-contact jerseys only go so far. Alabama quarterback Jalen Hurts probably knows that better than anyone
Before becoming the starter last season, Hurts’ famously played the role of Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson on the Crimson Tide’s scout team in preparation for the 2016 College Football Playoff National Championship Game. While preparing a team for a national championship might sound like a glamorous task for an early enrollee, Hurts was soon introduced to how nasty Alabama’s defense can be.
“Our scout team dudes — our quarterbacks — they wear black jerseys. A’Shawn and J. Reed never cared about that,” Former Alabama linebacker Ryan Anderson said last season. “They used to hit Blake (Barnett). Then when Jalen came, they was hitting him and he’d just jump back up. Blake was used to it, but Jalen coming right out of high school, he showed me he was tough right then.”
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Hurts' ability to take hits might have earned him the respect of his teammates, but don’t expect Alabama coaches to let their starter take the same kind of abuse this season. That being said, no contact would ill prepare the Tide’s quarterbacks from the pressure they’ll be facing this season.
Alabama put the ball on the ground 26 times last season. While that number tied for ninth fewest in the nation, 11 of those fumbles were by Hurts with four of them resulting in turnovers. That doesn’t sit too well with Alabama head coach Nick Saban, who treats fumbling like a Cardinal sin.
During his news conference Tuesday, Saban explained how the team prepares Hurts as well as early enrollees Tua Tagovailoa and Mac Jones for pass rushing situations without putting them at too much of a risk.
“One of the things that we do, if the quarterback is going to run the ball, we put him in some, when we do like turnover drills before practice that are basically tackle and strip drills, we’ll put the quarterbacks in those drills.
“So, in a controlled situation they’re getting hit,” Saban said during his Tuesday news conference. “The ball is getting stripped and certainly ball security is something, if we’re going to run the quarterbacks, has gotta be an important thing for them.”
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Of course, there’s a balancing act that goes along with any type of contact drill. As a dual-threat quarterback, Hurts already takes plenty of hits during the season. Last year, he led the team with 191 carries, many of which ended in bone-crunching blows. Given the Tide’s lack of depth at the position, any injury would be devastating, especially from an unnecessary hit during practice.
“I don't think it’s worth getting a guy hurt in practice trying to prove the point that we’re going to make them a little tougher, especially at the quarterback position,” Saban said. “We try to do it with some controlled drills so that they do get hit. We really have limited the quarterback runs in the spring and are really focused on trying to develop a better passing game.”
For now, at least most of the time, black means stay back.
