Anyone that follows college football knows all too well that Jalen Hurts is unique.

It takes a lot for a true freshman to step on the field and play immediately at Alabama yet Hurts managed to just that, coming off the bench in his first career college game before starting the rest of the season for the Tide despite playing the most difficult position to master on the field.

Hurts not only seized the opportunity to see the field during his freshman season, but he also ran with it all the way to becoming the 2016 SEC Offensive Player of the Year by the end of his debut season in Tuscaloosa.

That season was nearly flawless for the Crimson Tide, as they marched into the 2017 College Football Playoff National Championship Game with an undefeated 14-0 record. Hurts did his part in that game, scoring the go-ahead touchdown with just over two minutes remaining in the contest, but it wasn’t enough as Clemson scored in the closing seconds to steal victory away from Alabama’s grasp.

That game was played long ago but it’s the one that still sticks with Hurts to this day.

During a recent appearance on “The Rich Eisen Show,” Hurts was asked how he has managed to handle being in the spotlight since the time he arrived and dealt with adversity that came with Tua Tagovailoa’s emergence in Tuscaloosa.

“It’s always about how we respond to given situations we’re handed,” Hurts answered. “I think everything, you know, just like the ups and downs been lessons for me where I’ve learned so many things and been able to learn from the situations I’ve been in. When you talk about being down in a game, or coming up short in the game, or whatever it was. I was able to learn from all those things and become stronger, wiser and better.”

Keeping that in mind, Hurts then shared Alabama’s loss to Clemson in the title game his freshman year was the one moment that stands out from his college career.

“Somebody asked me the other day, ‘What was the most memorable thing of your college career?’ I told him, I said, losing that championship my first year,” Hurts revealed. “That’s something that I’ll never ever forget, you know, and those things like that, games like that, they motivate me. You don’t forget the ones you lose, that’s for sure.”

That perspective and drive are a big reason why so many NFL evaluators are high on Hurts heading into the 2020 NFL Draft. When these coaches study Hurts’ film, they’ll see he’s a quarterback capable of elevating the play of those around him.

That’s something he hinted at when asked why he stayed at Alabama for his junior season during the interview.

“You know, there were thoughts, I think… Not from me but people around me. People wanted to see me, you know, be in a position where I could flourish,” Hurts continued. “Even my teammates around me, they were like, ‘Why are you still here?’ I’m like, I’m here for you guys.

“But it was an unprecedented situation, you know, that’s something we’ve never seen that before. I think it all happened for a reason. Me deciding to stay at Alabama, I wouldn’t change that decision for the world.”