Looking back, it's nothing short of ironic.
On the first snap of his collegiate career, Jalen Hurts fumbled away the ball.
The inauspicious start to Hurts' Alabama tenure couldn't have been more misleading.
Hurts, a sophomore, is now the unquestioned starter at quarterback, having gone 16-1 in that role while presiding over an offense in the midst of a remarkable streak that embodies a core principle of Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban's philosophy.
"I mean ball security ... you hear, 'The ball, the ball, the ball,'" Hurts said.
That mantra has echoed in Hurts' head throughout the last 26 quarters, when Alabama hasn't committed a turnover.