Nick Saban praises 'classy' way Jalen Hurts, Tua Tagovailoa handled Alabama QB competition

Former Alabama quarterbacks Jalen Hurts and Tua Tagovailoa presented an unprecedented dynamic from 2017-18. Head coach Nick Saban had a front-row ticket to the oddity. On Sunday, Saban reflected on what stood out to him during the unusual era in the Crimson Tide’s QB room.

“The class that both of those guys had, as people, as competitors, and how important their team was to them. They put the team first,” Saban said during an appearance on “Sunday NFL Countdown.” “I remember the conversation when Jalen decided to stay. I said, ‘Look, if you want to play in the NFL someday, and I know that’s your goal, you have to get better as a passer, reading things better, get the ball out of your hands quicker. And you can do that just as well here by staying here and practicing every day because of the type of offense we have as you can anyplace else.’

“He decided to do that and he embraced it. But, the thing that was classy about these guys is they always supported each other. They competed against each other. They respected each other, but they supported each other in every game that we played.”

Jalen Hurts and Tua Tagovailoa’s intertwined stories

It couldn’t have been easy. In 2017, Hurts was a star for Alabama. In 14 starts, Hurts completed 60.4% of his passes (154-of-255) for 2,081 yards and 17 touchdowns with only one interception. Further, the 6-foot-2 powerhouse rushed a team-high 154 times for 855 yards and eight TDs.

Despite his success, Hurts wasn’t cutting it in the first half of the 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship. Alabama entered halftime down 13-0 to Georgia. Consequently, Saban opted to start Tagovailoa, who was the backup QB that season, in the second half.

The decision paid dividends. Tagovailoa led the Crimson Tide to a come-from-behind 26–23 victory in overtime. With momentum behind him, Tagovailoa was expected to start in the 2018 season. Nonetheless, Hurts stuck by Saban’s side.

Although he was QB2 his junior season, Hurts found his moment to shine. In a twist of fate, Tagovailoa went down with an injury in the SEC Championship game against Georgia. With the season on the line, Hurts stepped up, carrying Alabama to victory.

Hurts transferred to Oklahoma for his senior season and reminded the nation of his talents. He was electric for the Sooners, finishing second in the Heisman Trophy voting, only trailing Joe Burrow. Now, both in the NFL, Hurts and Tagovailoa can enjoy each other’s success.

They certainly have plenty of success to share. Tagovailoa has already amassed 1,876 passing yards this season, the most in the NFL. Hurts isn’t far behind, boasting 1,542 passing yards of his own.

On Sunday, the the talented duo will square off as the Philadelphia Eagles and Miami Dolphins clash at 8:20 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on NBC.