Alabama recruit Jahlil Hurley making hometown proud
FLORENCE, Ala. (BVM) — Jahlil Hurley is a star cornerback for Florence High School in Florence, Alabama, ranking as the No. 23 player in the country according to 247 Sports. But Hurley was not always the biggest standout on the field growing up.
In fact, when Hurley first started playing for a little league team, he hardly played at all.
He wound up taking a year’s hiatus from the sport before returning to a different youth league team.
Unfortunately, that season was much of the same for Hurley, until the middle of the year when he got an opportunity late in a game to take a carry.
And he made the most of his chance.
Hurley broke off a big run flashing the pure speed and athleticism that makes him so coveted to this day.
From there on out, Hurley was a mainstay in the lineup and everyone, including Hurley himself, realized that there was something different about him.
“It took off from that one carry from when I was 5 or 6,” Hurley said.
Hurley’s teams would typically take home the championship every year going forward, and that was not by coincidence.
The constant winning became fuel for Hurley, strengthening his love of the game and giving him something to strive for each and every season.
“We just won a lot,” Hurley said. “That is probably one of my core memories from football.”
Another core memory of Hurley’s career is the moment that he realized he could possibly play beyond the high school level.
Following a strong freshman year, Hurley had the thought creep into his head.
On the bus ride back from losing a playoff game to Thompson High School, he spent the time contemplating what he can do to maximize his talent. From that day on, Hurley would train and perfect his technique every day after school.
The hours, days, and months of putting in extra work to get where he wanted to be paid off.
The 6-foot-2, 170-pound cornerback turned himself into one of the premier defensive backs in the entire country. In February, he chose from some of the biggest programs in the country, ultimately deciding on in-state powerhouse Alabama.
“Getting a full-ride scholarship is probably my biggest accomplishment so far,” Hurley said. “Making my family, friends and coaches happy. Just making everyone happy.”
Before he announced his decision, Hurley got to spend his recruiting experience with his brother, Jakobie, traveling to all different schools around the country.
At the end of the day, Hurley’s relationship with the coaching staff as well as the production of NFL talent at Alabama made him choose the Crimson Tide.
Being able to represent his home state on a national level was the icing on his cake.
“It’s cool cause my people can come to the game easily because it’s only like two and a half hours,” Hurley said. “I love Tuscaloosa too.”
Unlike his youth days, whether it is at Florence, the University of Alabama or even the next level, it is going to be hard to keep Hurley’s talent off the field.
