Nick Saban recalls a conversation he had with Jalen Hurts after he was benched for Tua Tagovailo during Alabama’s 2018 season. Saban advised him he needed to improve his passing ability. To strengthen the fundamentals of quarterbacking.
Saban recounted the encounter during an interview with The 33rd Team in 2023.
“You cannot simply make plays with your feet. I want you to focus this season on reading coverages, being more instinctive with getting the ball out of your hands quickly, anticipating throws in windows, and understanding the passing game better. Focus on that because you want to play in the NFL someday, and that is what you need to improve on.'”
The famed coach’s constructive criticism had a significant impact on the junior quarterback.
“His diligence in doing that on a daily basis, he wouldn’t take off running in practice, he made himself stand in the pocket and learn how to do that.”
Saban continues to commend Hurts’ integrity and unwavering commitment to improvement.
“I think Jalen is defined by his commitment to his development,” Saban said in a statement. “I know firsthand what he went through to get there and how he dedicated himself to doing the things that he needed to do to make himself a better player, to make himself a complete player at the position.”
Six years after Hurts was benched and told the hard truth by Saban, his current coach praises his drive.
“Here’s what I know about Jalen: whatever we see that he needs to work on or he sees that he needs to work on, he’ll get better at it because he puts everything he has into it,” Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni said Tuesday at the NFL Scouting Combine. “Jalen sees something that he thinks is a weakness of his or we feel like is a weakness is, he’s going to dive everything he has into it to get better from that.”
Sirianni was asked on Tuesday about Hurts’ ability to improve as a leader. He underlined the necessity of a leader being authentic and how Hurts exemplifies this.
“One thing I learned early in leadership is that you have to be yourself,” Sirianni was quoted as saying. “Because if you lead and try to lead someone else, it will be seen through…. Everyone has to lead their own way, and Jalen has special qualities that people will follow and want to follow, and he has to do what he needs to do to lead in that way, and some people’s leadership styles are loud and aggressive. Some leaders lead by example, while others use a combination of the two.
According to Sirianni, Hurts’ desire to develop is one of the best ways to set a good example.
“That’s leadership is being who you are and leading in example,” Sirianni went on to say. “Ultimately, leading by example is an excellent leadership approach. So Jalen needs to lead the way he needs to lead, and I believe he has done an excellent job of doing so.”
Hurts passed for a career-high 3,858 passing yards and 23 touchdowns in 2023. However, he threw a career-high 15 interceptions. But given the remarks of the two coaches who probably know Hurts the best, there should be little doubt as to how he will look to improve from last.
