In first meeting as pros, former Alabama QBs Tagovailoa, Hurts have found their footing

Days before Sunday night’s meeting between two of the most notable quarterbacks to come out of the University of Alabama, Tua Tagovailoa was feeling nostalgic.

Even when asked about the Philadelphia Eagles’ “Tush Push,” Tagovailoa couldn’t help but think to his days in Tuscaloosa and lifting sessions with Jalen Hurts.

“It’s also no surprise with Jalen being in the back there with how strong he is,” Tagovailoa said on Wednesday. “I’ve been his lifting partner when I got there to Alabama and oh my goodness. Let me tell you, he could probably squat with our linemen or maybe just a little more. This guy can squat. He’s strong. So it doesn’t surprise me with the quarterback sneaks and that’s not to diss any of our linemen. That’s just to say I’ve seen this dude put up a lot of weight and he has lifted with some of our linemen at Alabama, so he’s strong.”

When he arrived at Tuscaloosa, Tagovailoa was the latest five-star recruit to make his way to the NFL-bound factory that is Alabama. Hurts was the reigning SEC Offensive Player of the Year as a true freshman. Since then, the two have taken a winding path to the current points in their career. But when they meet at Lincoln Financial Field for “Sunday Night Football,” they will ll do so as bona fide franchise quarterbacks.

“We’ll probably see each other before the game to wish each other luck, but at the end of the day, we’re both trying to help our teams win,” Tagovailoa said. “And I know that he’s doing all that he can to help his offense be successful against our defense, and I’m doing the exact same, trying to work hard to do the exact same to their defense. I got a lot of respect for Jalen. He’s been a great competitor since I got there to Alabama. He’s been a special player since I’ve been there, and he’s been a special player throughout his entire college career.”

A league-leading 57 Alabama alumni were on an the active NFL Kickoff Weekend roster. And the only matchup this weekend between 5-1 teams might feel especially like a reunion of sorts, with a total of nine former Alabama players on both teams.

No dynamic is more prominent than that of Hurts and Tagovailoa, though.

As a freshman, Tagovailoa replaced Hurts after halftime of the National Championship Game and threw the game-winning touchdown to wide receiver DeVonta Smith — now a member of the Eagles — to beat Georgia.

Tagovailoa supplanted Hurts as the starter to begin the 2018 season. Hurts, though, came in for Tagovailoa when he injured his ankle in the SEC Championship Game. Hurts would lead Alabama to a come-from-behind victory against Georgia.

Hurts transferred to the University of Oklahoma after the 2018 season, finishing up as a runner-up for the Heisman Trophy. Both Tagovailoa and Hurts entered the 2020 Draft, with Tagovailoa going No. 5 to Miami and Hurts taken No. 53 by Philadelphia.

After early struggles as starters, Tagovailoa and Hurts have established themselves as two of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, with schemes that highlight their individual skill sets. Last season, Hurts was an MVP candidate throughout the season as he helped lead the No. 1 offense and spearhead a unique rushing game that set countless franchise records. This season, Tagovailoa has emerged as the early MVP favorite, leading an offense that is on a historic pace through six games.

“There’s different ways to skin the cat, right?” Tagovailoa said. “Many different ways. He went down a different road than I did to get to where I’m at. And he had to go down a different road to get to where he’s at. But like I said, I got a lot of respect for him — who he is as a person who he is as a player and wish him the best of luck as we play him.”

Said Hurts: “It’s been great to see the things he’s been able to do over his career and [I] hope for continued success.”

Tagovailoa and Hurts connected for a brief moment last summer when the Dolphins hosted the Eagles for joint practices in Miami Gardens. Tagovailoa revealed that the two have remained in contact, sharing tips and notes for common opponents.

“I never had two players that were really, really good players at the same position who actually supported each other the way those two guys supported each other when they were here,” Alabama head coach Nick Saban said during a weekly news conference.

If the paths of Tagovailoa and Hurts can show anything, it’s the importance of surrounding a quarterback with a scheme that accentuates his talent and empowers him. Similar to Hurts last season, Tagovailoa has faced some criticisms diminishing his impact in a top offense surrounded by standout teammates.

The topic was broached to head coach Mike McDaniel on Wednesday, who gave a strong response.

“My answer to that would be, ‘Who the f cares’ because it is a team,” he said. “We’re working together and I know one thing. I’ve coached stuff a long time. I haven’t seen people do what our guys do and I mean, in a lot of experiences, to their credit, to their ability and their commitment to their craft; I know as a teammate, we’re all dependent on each other and I’m not in any hurry to prove myself without those guys because those are part of who we are and to try to say it’s this person or that person is kind of missing the point. It is a team working together, people working together and myself, Tyreek Hill, Tua, cool, but what if no one’s blocking anyone? You know what I mean? Like we’re all connected in that way.

“That’s why I think a lot of the guys; Tua’s success is their success. Tyreek’s success, [Jaylen] Waddle’s, Raheem [Mostert’s], etc. We’re all tied together, it’s a journey that we’re experiencing together. Somebody will get the statistics from it, but none of those statistics are worth anything if you don’t have full support from your players across the board, all 11, and then it goes down to the organization and all those things combined. But I know this; our players run a lot of plays that I have a lot of history with and it looks different, and that’s because of hard work and unbelievable ability. So don’t try me on other players. I’m not trying to prove that.”