Jalen Hurts Looking Better and Better in NFL Process

Oklahoma quarterback Jalen Hurts didn't emphasize refined throwing mechanics

John E. Hoover|

Jalen Hurts Looking Better and Better in NFL Process

NORMAN — Oklahoma’s Jalen Hurts said after his Pro Day last week that his sharper throwing mechanics and more polished throws were not a byproduct of refining his game ahead of the NFL Draft process.

Observers noticed both at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis and at the Everest Training Center on the OU campus that Hurts’ throws appeared more accurate, arrived in tighter spirals and even may have had a bit more velocity.

But Hurts said that wasn’t a point of emphasis ahead of the combine and pro day.

“No,” Hurts said, “biggest thing was just going out there and showing what I can do.”

OU coach Lincoln Riley also said while he thought Hurts performed well, there was no reason to seem surprised.

“It wasn’t surprising to me,” Riley said. “Did he throw it a lot differently than he did for us? I don’t think so.”

The NFL Draft is April 23-25, and Hurts has been projected anywhere from a second- to a fourth-round pick.

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Published Mar 18, 2020

John is an award-winning journalist whose work spans five decades in Oklahoma, with multiple state, regional and national awards as a sportswriter at various newspapers. During his newspaper career, John covered the Dallas Cowboys, the Kansas City Chiefs, the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma State Cowboys, the Arkansas Razorbacks and much more. In 2016, John changed careers, migrating into radio and launching a YouTube channel, and has built a successful independent media company, DanCam Media. From there, John has written under the banners of Sporting News, Sports Illustrated, Fan Nation and a handful of local and national magazines while hosting daily sports talk radio shows in Oklahoma City, Tulsa and statewide. John has also spoken on Capitol Hill in Oklahoma City in a successful effort to put more certified athletic trainers in Oklahoma public high schools. Among the dozens of awards he has won, John most cherishes his national "Beat Writer of the Year" from the Associated Press Sports Editors, Oklahoma's "Best Sports Column" from the Society of Professional Journalists, and Two "Excellence in Sports Medicine Reporting" Awards from the National Athletic Trainers Association. John holds a bachelor's degree in Mass Communications from East Central University in Ada, OK. Born and raised in North Pole, Alaska, John played football and wrote for the school paper at Ada High School in Ada, OK. He enjoys books, movies and travel, and lives in Broken Arrow, OK, with his wife and two kids.

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