ATLANTA, GA – DECEMBER 03: Head coach Nick Saban and Jalen Hurts #2 of the Alabama Crimson Tide celebrate their 54 to 16 win over the Florida Gators during the SEC Championship game at the Georgia Dome on December 3, 2016 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

You may have wondered over the years how former Alabama quarterback and Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts ended up at Oklahoma.

Surprisingly, it was his former head coach Nick Saban who told him to head to OU. Saban said Hurts wanted to go to Maryland or Miami but then he reconsider after talking to him.

“Who’s got the best players on offense?” Saban said. Hurts later admitted that it was Oklahoma, and Saban told him that’s where he should go. “And hell, I told him to do it knowing that we might have to play against him.”

Hurts was the SEC Player of the Year and SEC Freshman of the Year back in 2016 but lost his starting job in the 2018 national championship game to Tua Tagovailoa.

Tagavailoa would be injured in their rematch against Georgia in the SEC Championship game the following year, Hurts would have to come in for him and he won the game for Alabama.

Although he went to Oklahoma and become their starting quarterback in 2019 and was the first-team All-Big 12 quarterback, many still see him as the quarterback from Alabama, and Hurts doesn’t seem to correct anyone who says that. Hurts did earn his bachelor’s degree from Alabama but did grad school at OU.

[CharliePotter]

About Stacey Mickles

Stacey is a 1995 graduate of the University of Alabama who has previously worked for other publications such as Sportskeeda and Saturday Down South.