TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- By simply jogging onto the field at the end of the first quarter Saturday, Jalen Hurts sacrificed a year or future eligibility and displayed his commitment to his team.

The junior quarterback entered Alabama’s eventual 56-14 win over Louisiana-Lafayette with a 28-0 lead to a roar of applause from the crowd gathered inside Bryant-Denny Stadium for the 11 a.m. kickoff against the Ragin’ Cajuns. And it was the latest showing of his true character.

With the NCAA’s new redshirt rule, Hurts could have elected to shut himself down this week and redshirt the remainder of the season before transferring to another school with two years left to play in his collegiate career. But he played Saturday, his fifth game in 2018, to the delight of his head coach, his teammates and the crimson-clad fans that rose to their feet at his substitution.

“I know there has been a lot of talk around here about guys transferring and the transfer rule, but Jalen has obviously handled this extremely well, relative to being a great team player and leader, respecting his teammates and sticking with the program here,” Nick Saban said.

“He played very well today and took advantage of when he does have an opportunity to play, he plays well and tries to create value for himself, which I think would be the message that I would send to all players out there who are trying to take advantage of this new rule.”

Hurts’ name has been in headlines ever since Saban chose to replace the 28-game starter with Tua Tagovailoa in last year’s national championship game. Many speculated the Houston native would choose the path several others have after Week 4, including Clemson’s Kelly Bryant, and play in no more games until next season. But Hurts shocked everyone by sticking around.

Well, everyone outside of Alabama’s building.

“He’s a really good guy, a great competitor,” wideout Derek Kief said of Hurts. “He’s obviously going to the best thing for him. But as a man, he displays everything that a man should want to be. With all the outside stuff, he handles it really well. He’s a great teammate, and we love him.”

Alabama quarterback Jalen Hurts walks onto the field against UL-Lafayette.

Wide receiver Henry Ruggs III added: “It shows that he’s a professional. He’s about his business. He has a plan on what he wants to do, and that’s what he always tells us and he’s sticking to it. He never complains, he comes to work and does what he has to do to get better.”

On Saturday, Hurts threw for 118 yards and a 54-yard touchdown to Ruggs on 4-of-6 passing. Saban said the junior signal caller has made “a lot of improvement” in his progressions and throwing down the field. Against ULL, Hurts also rushed for eight yards on four carries.

Instead of watching from the sidelines or elsewhere, he helped his team to a 42-point win over the Ragin’ Cajuns. That redshirt rule that Hurts did not utilize, yeah, Saban is not a fan of it.

“The timing of guys being able to say, ‘I want to get redshirted,’ is not good the fourth or fifth or sixth game of the season after they’ve played three or four games,” Saban said. “I mean, we have a responsibility and an obligation, in my opinion, to do a great job of helping our players be more successful in life because they’re in the program. … So, we have a responsibility and obligation to the players to do that. But they also have a responsibility and obligation to play for their team.

“We gave them a scholarship, so I don’t really think it’s really fair to their teammates, aight, to have the option not continue to play. I think that’s not a good thing. I think the intent of the rule was so you can play a young player, a freshman player and enhance his development. And this has turned into something that I think is less than what we all desired it to be.”

Earlier this week, Saban said he plans to play Hurts as much as possible for the rest of the year, especially since the third-year player is one play away from reclaiming his starting role. But it will take that -- an injury -- to Tagovailoa for it to happen. Just like Hurts, Saban praised his starting quarterback for the leadership he has shown recently and throughout his career at Alabama.

“Tua’s always been a great leader. He’s a great team guy, too,” Saban said. “When he was the backup, he was very supportive of his teammates. Very enthusiastic. He has really good practice habits. Always upbeat in terms of his energy level and his personality. And I think he affects other people in a really positive way. I think being a starter, I don’t see him any different. I just think that because he’s the starter, those qualities have a better opportunity to have an impact.”

Contact Charlie Potter by 247Sports' personal messaging or on Twitter (@Charlie_Potter).

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