Jalen Hurd’s breakout performance against Oklahoma caught the eye of another well known running back in the Volunteer state. Hurd, who is a native of the greater Nashville area, impressed Tennessee Titans legend and College Football Hall of Famer Eddie George, who tweeted the following during Hurd’s career-best 97-yard performance.

Hurd was ecstatic when he saw the tweet from a player he called his “idol”. The freshman running back took the message as both a kind gesture and a motivational piece.

“I saw that on Twitter when I got on the bus,” Hurd said. “That’s amazing. That’s my biggest idol right there. That man can run the ball. That [tweet] just makes me very happy and encouraged.”

Hurd has already drawn comparisons to George with his impressive speed at a height many believed would be too tall to play running back. Both players are 6-foot-3, while the average NFL running back usually measures between 5-foot-10 and 5-foot-11.

“He was a big guy, he played for a long time and he could run that ball,” Hurd said. He’s got feet. He had everything. He was an everything back.”

Hurd has already surpassed George’s freshman yardage from his debut season with Ohio State in 1992. In 11 games, George ran for 176 yards and scored five touchdowns. Hurd currently leads Tennessee with 209 rushing yards, as well as 40 receiving yards, one rushing touchdown and one receiving score through three games.

Despite gaining notoriety as a nationally recognized prospect in the area George called home for five seasons, Hurd has never met the Titans’ legendary back. However, that will likely change if he continues to flourish as a standout back on Rocky Top.