Panthers QB Bryce Young reflects on ‘the mark’ Eagles’ Jalen Hurts left on Alabama’s program
“Being at Bama, a lot of people that I was teammates with or have worked there when he was there all have so many great stories about him as a player and him as a person,” Young said of Hurts.
The stage is set for Sunday’s matchup between the Eagles (10-2) and the struggling Carolina Panthers (3-9) in Bryce Young’s return to his birth state of Pennsylvania.
The Birds are riding an eight-game winning streak after a pivotal 24-19 victory over the Baltimore Ravens. Meanwhile, the Panthers — who have lost two in a row — are coming off of a 26-23 overtime loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a game in which Young threw for 298 yards and one touchdown.
The 2023 No. 1 overall draft pick has played good football lately and hopes to continue doing so against Jalen Hurts and the Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field.
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But Young’s Philly-area roots (he was born in Wynnewood at Lankenau Hospital) won’t be the only connection he has. Young said Hurts was a big reason why he chose to attend Alabama.
“I have nothing but respect for him as a player from watching film and as a person,” Young told reporters. “Being at Bama, a lot of people that I was teammates with or have worked there when he was there all have so many great stories about him as a player and him as a person. Just the mark he left on Alabama. That whole culture was a big reason why I went there, and I definitely have a ton of respect for him.”
The Crimson Tide have developed plenty of NFL-ready quarterback talent, including Tua Tagovailoa (Miami Dolphins), Mac Jones (Jacksonville Jaguars), and, of course, Hurts.
“The quarterback culture that they built at Bama, I mean obviously they had really good quarterbacks that were there before that,” Young said. “But just me growing up, those were the guys I saw when I was closer to making the decision and being a more conscious football fan. The culture that they kind of upheld, that was definitely a big reason. Them being the people they were especially with how the offense changed when they got there. Yeah, 100% why I went there.”
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Hurts spent his first three seasons with Alabama (2016 to 2018) before he transferred to Oklahoma for his final year of eligibility. Hurts eventually helped lead Oklahoma to a Big 12 championship and a spot in the College Football Playoff.
Young is excited to take on Hurts and the hottest team in football.
“Really good group, you can tell they play really well together,” Young said. “They execute things really well, communicate very well, play really hard, and they play really good football. So for us throughout the week we know it’s going to take everything to be at our best.”