Nick Saban praises how Jalen Hurts, Tua Tagovailoa handled Alabama QB competition ahead of NFL showdown

Alabama Football will be at the center stage of Sunday Night Football this week. The Philadelphia Egles plays host to the Miami Dolphins, setting up for an exciting matchup between 5-1 teams. There will be a common theme at the quarterback position, with Jalen Hurts and Tua Tagovailoa both playing college ball with the Crimson Tide.

There is still a bond between those two, dating back to their time together in Tuscaloosa. But Nick Saban knows when the ball is kicked off, they will be ready to compete. Both are going to be in tight division races down the stretch and every game matters.

“I know they’re both great competitors and they’re going to do what they have to do for their team,” Saban said during Wednesday’s SEC Coaches Teleconference. “But I think there will be a mutual respect by both guys.”

Hurts not having the best relationship with Tagovailoa would be understandable. One replaced the other in a national championship game, leading to an iconic moment in program history. Tagovailoa then won the competition the following season, meaning Hurts had to watch the majority of 2018 from the sidelines.

Instead, Hurts put the Alabama team ahead of himself and eventually, his opportunity to shine came. The story has been told before but Saban still uses it as an example.

“I’ve never had two players that were really, really good players at the same position who actually supported each other the way those two guys supported each other when they were here,” Saban said. “I think that comes from mutual respect and both guys being great team guys and putting the team before their own personal feelings.

“One guy went 26-2 as a starter and got replaced by another guy for a whole year and supported him. And when that guy got hurt, he went in and won the game. But the physiological support that they gave each other in every circumstance is something that is really, really special. I’m sure they have the same feeling about each other.”

Hurts went on to finish his college football career at Oklahoma, while Tagovailoa started for two seasons at Alabama. Both were selected in the 2020 NFL Draft — Tagovailoa in the first, Hurts in the second. To this point, the duo has not faced off against one another.

In what will almost be a full-circle moment, the story will once again be told in front of the country on Sunday Night Football.