Last weekend, Jalen Hurts not only became Super Bowl LIX champion but was also named MVP of the game. His remarkable talent began to take shape during his college football days, where he had standout performances with the Alabama Crimson Tide and Oklahoma Sooners. Lincoln Riley, now the head coach of the USC Trojans, had already begun to see the immense potential in him back then.
In comments published on SI.com, Riley spoke in a 2022 press conference about the technical skills he had already seen in Hurts during his time in the NCAAF. The current Super Bowl champion joined the Sooners in his final year of college after transferring from Alabama.
“The question from every team was how do you project this guy,” Riley started. “I told them he’s gonna be a really good player, he’s got a pro mentality.”
In addition, the current Trojans head coach emphasized that his time with Hurts helped shape him as a professional, given the strong bond they built during their time at USC. Hurts‘ arrival in the NFL was definitely something that had to happen.
Quarterback Jalen Hurts #1 warms up while head coach Lincoln Riley of the Oklahoma Sooners watches before the game against the Houston Cougars at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on September 1, 2019 in Norman, Oklahoma. The Sooners defeated the Cougars 49-31.
“Our time together was short. It was fun. He made me a better coach because his approach was really unique,” Riley also added. “Jalen is a pretty serious, at times stoic guy…We allowed him to be able to relax, enjoy, and play the game maybe a but more free flowing.”
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Hurts praises the defensive work of the Georgia program
Although Jalen Hurts spent his college years first with the Alabama Crimson Tide and later with the Oklahoma Sooners, when it comes to highlighting something that helped his team secure the Super Bowl title, it was none other than the defensive work developed by another program—the Georgia Bulldogs.
Many of Hurts’ current teammates on the Eagles came from there and perfected this aspect in the best possible way, which proved crucial in countering the attacks of Patrick Mahomes and his Kansas City Chiefs.
“I think a big part of it has to do with the Georgia background on defense, you know,” Hurts stated, via On3. “And I think that starts with Nakobe Dean and all those guys that were able to play ball in college together and bring their ways to the league.
“I think that has a big impact on our culture on defense, how they play, how together they are, and then I think I kind of seeps through the team in many ways.”
