The ASWA

It’s ironic that the breakout year for Jalen Hurts in the National Football League happened during a season in which he was known for finishing second.

In addition to leading his team to the Super Bowl, the 24-year-old was the runner-up for the NFL MVP award.

But how many other former athletes from the state would have wanted to have that kind season? All of them, which is why Hurts was named the Alabama Sports Writers Association’s Pro Athlete of the Year on Monday.

He was undoubtedly the most important player to his team among pro athletes who were either from Alabama or played collegiately in the state.

Just ask his head coach, Nick Sirianni. When the Philadelphia Eagles dispatched the New York Giants in the NFC divisional round of the playoffs, 38-7, he compared having a healthy Hurts to Michael Jordan in one crucial way: “He’s your leader. He’s your guy.”

The Eagles were 15-2 with Hurts at quarterback including the Super Bowl loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, and 0-2 without him.

Although Hurts finished his collegiate career at Oklahoma and placed second for the 2019 Heisman Trophy, he won 26 games as a starting quarterback and a national championship ring with the Crimson Tide, plus completed his undergraduate degree at Alabama.

Despite being part of the legendary quarterback room that included Mac Jones and Tua Tagovailoa, who are both NFL starters as well, Hurts accumulated the following accolades at Alabama:

• 2016 SEC Offensive Player of the Year
• 2016 All-SEC
• First freshman quarterback to start under Nick Saban
• Finished fourth all-time at Alabama in winning percentage at 92.9 percent (26-2)
• Owned the all-time record for rushing touchdowns by an Alabama quarterback with 23 through his 42 career games
• Ranked second in career rushing by a quarterback with 1,976 yards and finished second in program history touchdown responsibility with 71
• Accumulated 7,617 yards of total offense, third in Alabama history. Totaled 48 career touchdown passes, third most all-time

The game that may have foreshadowed his future NFL success was the one he’s probably known best for, the 2018 SEC Championship.  When Tagovailoa wasn’t able to continue due to ankle injuries, Saban had to call on Hurts with Alabama down 28-21 and roughly 11 minutes to go.

Eleven months after he had been pulled from the national title game — against the same team, and in the same location, Atlanta — Hurts threw for a touchdown and ran for another, to lead the No. 1 Crimson Tide to a 35-28 comeback victory over No. 4 Georgia .

“I’ve probably never been more proud of a player than Jalen,” Saban said at the time.

He later, looking back on the season, commented: “I’ve always said how much respect I have for both the guys. How you handle things when you’re in a difficult situation I think speaks volumes of who you are.”