In the wee hours of the morning on Jan. 9, Jalen Hurts was a model of grace under fire. Surrounded by a group of reporters, Hurts reflected on a most peculiar night when disappointment intersected with elation, when a major personal setback was followed by the celebration of immense accomplishment.
During the same evening he and Alabama won the national championship with a thrilling victory over Georgia, Hurts lost his grip on the starting quarterback job for the Crimson Tide. The player who guided the Tide to its first 12 victories in the 2017 campaign couldn't finish off its last of the season.