On Monday morning, both Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles got what they wanted and deserved.
Hurts received a massive, NFL-history making, five-year, $255 million contract extension with $179 million guaranteed while the Eagles locked up their franchise quarterback and addressed their biggest concern heading into the season. Now both can turn their attention to next week’s NFL Draft and prepare for another Super Bowl run.
While the time it took for the Eagles to arrive at this point has been short, the journey for Hurts has been longer and littered with many more obstacles.
As a freshman at Alabama, Hurts’ impact was felt immediately.
The Houston native became the first true freshman to start for the Tide since Vince Sutton in 1984. That season he threw for 2,780 yards with 23 TDs and 9 INTs while also rushing for 954 yards and 13 TDs. He broke both the school’s single-season rushing record (791 yards) set by Steadman Shealy and Blake Sims’ school record for total TDs in a single season (35). He made history again on November 12th, 2016 against Mississippi State when he became the first player in Alabama history to pass for 300 yards and rush for 100 yards in a single game.
Hurts guided the Tide to a 12-0 record, was named the SEC Freshman of the Year and the Conference Player of the Year and led the team to the National Championship Game, falling to the Clemson Tigers.
His sophomore year basically mirrored the year prior, but after making it back to the National Championship, Hurts was benched at halftime for Tua Tagovailoa. Tua rallied the Tide and they ended up beating Georgia, which effectively signaled the end of Hurts’ time in Tuscaloosa.
While he had one final moment of shine in the SEC title game as a junior, Hurts was relegated to the bench that season. Afterward, he transferred to Oklahoma and reignited his career by building a Heisman-worthy season for the Sooners and leading them to the College Football Playoff.
That season he amassed over 5,000 total yards (3,851 passing and 1,298 rushing) and 53 total TDs (32 passing, 20 rushing, 1 receiving). He was named 1st team All-Big 12, led the nation in passing yards/attempt, and was second in the nation in both passing efficiency (191.2) and total TDs. He also finished second to Joe Burrow in the Heisman race.
Then the 2020 NFL Draft arrived, which presented Jalen with a new moment of frustration and disappointment.
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