JASPER, Texas — In 2015, Jalen Hurts and the Channelview Falcons clashed with the Manvel Mavericks to start their Texas High School football Playoff trip.
The same time Jasper head coach Kendrick Crumedy was on staff at Manvel.
"Well at that time, he was either a Bama commit or Bama offer, and our defensive coaches were a little nervous," Coach Crumedy said. "They saw the film of him and they had seen him physically in person and he didn't look like the typical high school kid. We knew he could run and we knew he had a rocket launcher attached to his shoulder so he had us nervous going into the game."
Manvel demolished Channelview 71-21 but Coach Crumedy says that game still comes up from time to time ever since Hurts was named Eagles quarterback.
"It's pretty neat when he's playing Sunday because we have a kid on staff here that actually played in that game and talk about him a lot," Coach Crumedy said. "'Crum, did you see ole buddy?' Yeah, I saw Jalen absolutely demolish my Cowboys."
Even though Coach Crumedy doesn't cheer for Philadelphia on Sundays he says he has a tremendous respect for Hurts and the example he's setting for the future of football.
"It's gives us hope," Coach Crumedy said. "It gives him hope because young kids, our players now and even younger generations, they can believe that they can do it."
"It's great fuel to the fire for our kids," Coach Crumedy said. "When like 'Coach, I'm not the starter.' Well, Jalen Hurts wasn't either and he's playing the Super Bowl."
Coach Crumedy said he gets a little satisfaction knowing he helped coach a team that beat a Super Bowl contender but he still admires Hurts.
"A little bit but hey, that kid, we all look up to him and his dad," Coach Crumedy said. "My hat goes off to his dad because he did a marvelous job with him. Teaching him how to be a competitor and putting him in positions to be successful but he still beat the Cowboys so it saddens me."