True Leadership: The Jalen Hurts Lesson in Selflessness

I’ll never forget watching the College Football National Championship game in early 2018—Alabama vs. Georgia. After a rough start, Alabama’s starting quarterback, Jalen Hurts, was benched for a freshman, Tua Tagovailoa.

Can you imagine being pulled from the biggest game of your life, in front of millions, after leading your team there all season? The frustration, the humiliation, the anger—most players would have let those emotions consume them. It would have been easy for Jalen Hurts to stand on the sidelines, fuming at the decision, disengaged from the game. After all, he had every reason to feel slighted.

But that’s not what he did.

I remember watching him that night as he led from the sidelines. He helped Tua between offensive series, gave pep talks to the linemen, and kept rallying his team. His poise was unshakable. Then, after Alabama won the national championship in overtime, he stood in the post-game interview and praised Tua, the coaches, and his teammates. I remember thinking to myself—now that’s a leader.

The truth is, most people who claim to want to be a leader actually just want to be the frontman. They crave the credit, the spotlight, the recognition. But true leadership is doing whatever it takes for the team to win—even if that means cheering from the sideline.

To me, Jalen Hurts won the 2025 Super Bowl that night in 2018—the moment he chose to be a team-first leader rather than a "woe-is-me" player.

So, ask yourself: Are you committed to the cause or just chasing the credit?

Because in the end, staying focused on the mission—whether it’s glamorous or mundane—is what separates true champions from just great players. Which one are you?