When former Alabama and Oklahoma quarterback Jalen Hurts was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles as the 53rd overall pick, many wondered if he’d ever see any action on the field.
Even a month ago, Eagles head coach Doug Pederson told the media that he doesn’t see Hurts being the backup this year, some of which has to do with the coronavirus.
But Pederson also shared how Hurts is putting in the work, and over time, could become a huge asset for the Eagles.
Even now, Hurts has continued to impress the coaches. In a press conference earlier this week on Twitter, Pederson had this to say about Hurts:
“The one thing is not having them on the grass. But his growth as a mental standpoint from the beginning of the offseason to now has been very good and his ability to recall plays and recite plays, and one thing (quarterbacks coach) Press Taylor has done is put him into a huddle situation where he’s calling plays and being able to spit that back to him. And he’s done that at a really good, high level.
And now it’s just a matter of once we get him on the grass, he’s got to do it for real and go from there. But I’ve been really impressed with his progress this spring.”
Hurts finished the 2019 season at Oklahoma with a career high 3,851 yards passing, as well as a career-high 32 passing TDs. He added a career-best 1,298 yards rushing and career-high 20 rushing touchdowns.
In his college career at Alabama and Oklahoma, Hurts recorded almost 9,500 passing yards and 80 touchdowns along with almost 3,300 rushing yards and 43 rushing touchdowns.
Hurts won a national championship, SEC championship and Big 12 championship during his career. He was also named the Big 12 Newcomer of the Year this past season, as well as the BIG 12 Male Athlete of the Year.
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