Eagles' DeVonta Smith Talks 'Connection' with Jalen Hurts Since Alabama
Now that the Philadelphia Eagles preseason has ended, fans can shift their focus to the alma mater of franchise quarterback Jalen Hurts and receiver DeVonta Smith, college football juggernaut Alabama.
Despite all the jokes about the Eagles becoming the Philadelphia Bulldogs thanks to their recent affinity for acquitting former Georgia players such as Defensive Rookie of The Year candidate Jalen Carter from the latest dynasty in college football, the kingpin of yesterday may very well be the one most deserving of following a potential Eagles Super Bowl victory this season.
Alabama’s active 12-season streak of consecutive 11-win seasons is the longest in college football history. From 2009-2020, Alabama won six out of the 12 college football championships. No other team had even won five national titles over nine years. The Tide won more than any other team, and part of their success can be traced back to Hurts and Smith.
Hurts played at Alabama from 2016-2018, going to the playoffs all three seasons and winning one championship, but what he doesn’t get enough credit for is the role his presence played in bringing in high-end recruits such as Smith.
In a recent interview with The Pivot, Smith shared the role Hurts played in his commitment to Alabama coming out of high school.
“Part of the reason I went to Alabama was because of Jalen," Smith said. "I went to visit. He was the guy I was with, him and Calvin (Ridley). I just always got that vibe he was about business."
Although Hurts helped draw Smith to Alabama, their trajectory at the program differed significantly. In the 2018 College Football Championship game, Hurts would get benched in favor of Tua Tagovailoa, who would lead the Crimson Tide to a 26-23 walk-off overtime victory against Georgia thanks to a 41-yard touchdown reception from Smith.
Following that season, Hurts was Bama’s backup. Still, before transferring to Oklahoma to finish his collegiate career, he helped the Crimson Tide win the SEC Championship against Georgia while Tagovailoa was injured.
Smith shared that he looked up to Jalen’s work ethic in college and is proud of how he trusted the process and handled being benched in favor of Tua at the time.
So when Philly traded up to draft Smith tenth overall in the 2021 NFL Draft, their chemistry already had deep roots. Smith shared that in college, he and Hurts weren’t partiers. Instead, the two bonded over being both country boys (Hurts from Houston and Smith from Louisiana) and watching football film.
“The connection was always there,” Smith said.
Last season, that became more evident than ever. Smith led Eagles pass catchers with 95 receptions and was the most reliable receiver on the team during their Super Bowl run.
As the two prepare for Philly’s season-long redemption tour beginning on Sept. 10, expect them to spend some time watching their old college try to reassert itself as the top dog in the SEC.
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