Consistent encouragement and reinforcement go a long way into helping someone grow into becoming something special. For Jalen Hurts, the Alabama quarterback was in constant communication with his offensive coordinator (Lane Kiffin) as a freshman to where looking toward the sideline for guidance was all he had to do.
The comfort and tangible teachings from Kiffin led to Hurts winning Southeastern Conference Offensive Player of the Year in 2016. He would go on to assist the Crimson Tide a conference championship and a College Football Playoff appearance, despite falling to Clemson in the title game.
His struggles with Brian Daboll in the following season stemmed from the long-time NFL assistant keeping his head in his play calling sheet.