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Tony's Take: Jalen Hurts' confidence was earned on the field

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Returning as the reigning SEC Offensive Player of the Year, Alabama quarterback Jalen Hurts earned the right to be confident. Photo | USA Today
Returning as the reigning SEC Offensive Player of the Year, Alabama quarterback Jalen Hurts earned the right to be confident. Photo | USA Today
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No offense Alabama fans, but Jalen Hurts prefers to play on the road. It has nothing to do with his opinion of the Crimson Tide faithful inside Bryant-Denny Stadium. In fact, he couldn’t care less about silencing opposing fans. As the starting quarterback for the top team in the SEC that’s just part of the job.

The truth is, away games are just harder, or the way Hurts puts it, “a little more fun.”

The Channelview, Texas native is a rare breed. After all, you have to be to start at quarterback as a true freshman for Alabama. Last season, Hurts became the first true freshman quarterback to start at Alabama since Vince Sutton accomplished the feat in 1984.

The honor was not lost on Hurts, but he wasn’t overcome by it either.

“I think it was earned,” Hurts said to reporters while at the Manning Passing Academy in Thibodaux, La., on Friday. “Obviously, you work for everything you get in life. You put some good work in and end up winning the job.”

Simple, right?

At least that’s how Hurts made it look last season, earning the SEC Offensive Player of the Year award after passing for 2,780 yards and 23 touchdowns with nine interceptions while rushing for 954 yards and 13 more scores on the ground. His 36 combined touchdowns broke Alabama’s single-season record. Sure, he had his freshman moments, but for the most part, Hurts made it look pretty easy.

Rest assured, it wasn’t.

Ultimately, that’s what ended up making Hurts’ debut season so great. He had to earn it. Just like walking into a raucous opposing stadium, Hurts entered last year’s quarterback competition as the underdog.

As a true freshman, the odds were against him. For Alabama, starting Hurts meant eventually losing the three other quarterbacks on its roster. The young quarterback knew his only way onto the field was to show he was hands-down the Tide’s best option. That’s what he did.

“What happened last year, for me, I just went into it with the mentality of getting better,” Hurts said. “I wasn’t competing against nobody but myself, and I wanted to be the best that I could be. I feel like the sky’s the limit when it comes to my abilities. And I just tried to be the best I can be, and I ended up getting that opportunity to play as a freshman.”

And yet, despite all his achievements, it’s easy to point out all the things Hurts didn’t do last season. His combined 326 yards and two touchdowns over the final three games weren’t enough for an Alabama fan base fat off the expectations that come with three consecutive trips to the College Football Playoff.

In the end, Hurts couldn’t make up for a disappointing showing in the national championship game that saw him complete 13 of 31 passes for 131 yards and a touchdown. His 30-yard touchdown run to put Alabama ahead of Clemson with 2:07 remaining came too late, or too early, depending on who you ask.

Alabama’s tired defense was spent and couldn’t help protect the script to Hurts’ fairytale season. Instead, Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson stole the leading role in what will go down as one of college football’s all-time greatest games.

In a way, it was almost fitting. Hurts has not been asked much about Watson’s performance, but I bet if he was he’d be the first to admit the Clemson quarterback earned his glory. Watson completed 36 of 56 passes for 420 yards and three touchdowns and was named the game’s MVP. While Hurts would have certainly enjoyed seeing his defense bail him out, he knows titles don't just fall in your lap.

That brings us to now. Despite showing several signs of improvement over the spring, there are still some who are skeptical over whether or not Hurts will ever develop into the passer Alabama needs him to be. An equally impressive spring from highly-touted true freshman Tua Tagovailoa certainly didn’t help quell any of the pressure.

Alabama head coach Nick Saban did his best to eliminate some of the weight on Hurts’ shoulders this spring, naming him the starter early on during camp. It was a nice gesture, but not one that fits into the quarterback’s mindset heading into his sophomore season.

“At Alabama, nothing is guaranteed,” Hurts said. “We have really good competition that comes in every year and pushes us, and that’s what it’s for. All the quarterbacks at our school, we’re doing a great job of competing and making each other better. And that’s that.”

Hurts wouldn’t have it any other way. He's confident, and he's earned the right to be.

Video Rewind: Alabama Quarterback Jalen Hurts Ready To Lead 

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