Former Alabama quarterback Jalen Hurts has been named the Alabama Sports Writers Association’s Pro Athlete of the Year for 2024-25, marking his second time receiving the prestigious honor after winning it in 2022. The Philadelphia Eagles star led his team to a Super Bowl victory this past season, earning MVP honors in a commanding 40-22 win over the Kansas City Chiefs.
In the Super Bowl, Hurts showcased his dual-threat prowess, completing 17 of 22 passes for 221 yards and a touchdown, despite one interception, while also rushing for 72 yards and a score—the most rushing yards ever by a quarterback in a Super Bowl. His stellar postseason performance included 627 total yards and seven touchdowns across victories against the Green Bay Packers, Los Angeles Rams, and Washington Commanders.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/70179621/usa_today_17207529.0.jpg)
During the regular season, Hurts played 15 games, achieving a career-high 68.7% pass completion rate for 2,903 yards and 18 touchdowns, with only five interceptions. On the ground, he added 630 yards and 14 touchdowns, solidifying his reputation as one of the NFL’s most dynamic quarterbacks.
Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni praised Hurts’ growth and resilience, saying, “He just keeps getting better. He knows how to win. He does a great job of being able to block out all the outside noise.” Sirianni highlighted the team’s collective success, noting, “Jalen is special and the criticism just blows my mind because I think he’s so special and has won so many games and works his butt off.”
Hurts, who played at Alabama from 2016-2018, joins an elite group of 10 former Crimson Tide players to win the ASWA Pro Athlete of the Year, including legends like Kenny Stabler (1975), Ozzie Newsome (1984), and Derrick Henry (2019, 2020). He is also one of only eight repeat winners, alongside Henry, Cam Newton, and Charles Barkley, among others.
Hurts’ journey to this accolade has been one of perseverance. After earning SEC Offensive Player of the Year and SEC Freshman of the Year honors in 2016, he led Alabama to the national championship game but lost to Clemson. In 2017, he was benched during Alabama’s national championship win over Georgia. His first Super Bowl appearance in 2023 also ended in a loss to the Chiefs. Reflecting on his path, Hurts said, “It’s been a very unprecedented journey. The journey, it’s always the beginning until it’s the end, and I think, it means a lot.”
Selected by the Eagles with the No. 53 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft after a final college season at Oklahoma, Hurts has amassed 14,667 passing yards, 85 passing touchdowns, 3,133 rushing yards, and 55 rushing touchdowns over five NFL seasons. His recent Super Bowl triumph and second ASWA Pro Athlete of the Year award cement his status as one of Alabama’s most celebrated athletic figures.