FL.The Broncos used their stellar defense to shut down the Buccaneers 27-7 on Sunday.Who says old sc | Forum
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May 16 '19
Its easy to appraise Jalen Hurts by the numbers: The yards, the touchdowns and the wins. Cheap Shoes UK For Sale .But perhaps the most notable number is his age, 18. Top-ranked Alabamas freshman quarterback has shown poise beyond his years under the pressure of leading the Crimson Tide to a Southeastern Conference title and playoff berth.Alabamas offensive leader is just a teenager from Texas who hadnt let a team to a championship since he was an 8-year-old on the East Houston Aggies. He hasnt often looked like an 18-year-old on the field.Im a firm believer in age being nothing but a number, Hurts said. And I feel like if you step up to any situation and youre able to play your game, be confident, have the poise you need to have, youll be all right.Hurts is trying to become only the second true freshman quarterback to lead a major college team to a national title. Oklahomas Jamelle Holloway replaced an injured Troy Aikman in 1985 and led the Sooners to eight straight wins.So far, Hurts is a perfect 12-0 as a starter since claiming the job after the opener and has been named SEC offensive player of the year. His journey to a College Football Playoff semifinal matchup with No. 4 Washington on Dec. 31 hasnt been all paved in crimson glory, but more a season-long rubber band-like grind of snapping back from negative plays, like a fumble that Mississippi returned for a touchdown. Big plays often follow the bad ones.Hurts has gotten better later in games, including in the second half of the Iron Bowl against Auburn and the SEC championship game against Florida.Thats unusual because freshmen are rookies, Alabama offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin said after the SEC championship game in Atlanta. What do they do? They usually screw up in the fourth quarter. Hes special.Of course, Hurts has also had few games that were still undecided in the fourth quarter.He has of course benefited from a supporting cast full of NFL talent and the nations best defense, much like `Bama predecessors including Jake Coker, AJ McCarron and Greg McElroy -- each of whom led the Tide to national titles.Hurts arrived in Tuscaloosa in time to play Clemsons Deshaun Watson for the scout team leading up to the national championship game last season. He has been able to escape some of the grind of being quarterback of a national title contender since coach Nick Saban doesnt allow freshmen to talk to reporters during the regular season. So the SEC championship postgame scrum looked like a full-out blitz, with Hurts surrounded by reporters and TV cameras scrambling for his first public comments as `Bamas starter.He handled it with aplomb and didnt bite when asked to evaluate his season.As a team, I think weve done a great job, Hurts said, repeating himself when asked a second time.Being the quarterback of an active dynasty in a state where college football reigns supreme could overwhelm any player, freshman or senior.Hes handled it extremely well, said McElroy, an SEC Network analyst who helped lead the Tide to the 2009 national title. Has he been perfect? No. Is there a lot of room for improvement? Absolutely. But given the pressure and the circumstance of playing quarterback at Alabama -- as soon as youre named the starter you immediately become one of the most heavily scrutinized people in the entire state.Hurts, the son of a high school coach, has put up big numbers along the way, already running for more yards in a season than any other Tide quarterback.He has rushed for 841 yards and 12 touchdowns, keeping the offense going even when the passing game isnt clicking. He has also completed 65.3 percent of his passes for 2,592 yards and 22 touchdowns with nine interceptions.Hurts has been a better finisher than starter. He has passed for 14 touchdowns and been intercepted just twice in the second half of games, when hes also produced many of his biggest plays. That includes a 21-yard fourth-quarter touchdown run in a 10-0 win at LSU in a game that was otherwise dominated by the defenses.I think people were on him a little bit after the LSU game and I just told him, `Man, Jalen, you just went into Tiger Stadium at night in an Alabama-LSU game and won and really made the one significant play on offense, Kiffin said. Hes a special player.Hurts credits his father and prep coach, Averion, for helping him be ready to handle the challenges and successes at Alabama. Hurts also absorbed lessons by watching his older brother Averion Jr. -- a quarterback at Texas Southern -- learn the hard way.All the butt-chewings he got, I learned from those, he said. Life is all about learning.Then he went on to play for another demanding coach in Saban, who has regularly held one-on-one Sunday film sessions with his quarterback.Hurts said not even Sabans chewing-outs can match those coming from his father.There aint nothing like getting a butt-chewing from your blood, he said.---More AP college football: www.collegefootball.ap.org and https://twitter.com/AP-Top25. ;Running Shoes UK From China . -- San Francisco 49ers linebacker Ahmad Brooks was fined $15,570 by the NFL on Wednesday for his hit on Saints quarterback Drew Brees last Sunday. Cheap Nike Shoes UK Discount . -- The Missouri Tigers might not have a roster full of superstars. http://www.runningshoessaleuk.com/ . The head of USA Boxing came out swinging Tuesday with an open letter to Tyson -- a former Olympic hopeful himself -- that accuses the former heavyweight champion of trying to poach fighters who might be candidates for the U. NEW YORK -- The Denver Broncos are one of two teams off to a 4-0 start this season. However, they are alone at the top of the latest AP Pro32 poll released on Tuesday.The defending champion Broncos received nine first-place votes for 381 points from balloting by media members who regularly cover the NFL.The Broncos used their stellar defense to shut down the Buccaneers 27-7 on Sunday.Who says old school football doesnt work anymore? Newsdays Bob Glauber said. The Broncos are living pr
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