OPINION | WALLY HALL: Hurts has had a rise, a fall and another rise


Granted, professional athletes and coaches are paid ridiculous sums of money, but since that is not going to change, it is a feel-good story for Jalen Hurts, who has signed a $255 million, five-year contract with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Hurts' story is that of 5-star recruit who started for Alabama, helped it win a national championship, only to become the backup. So he transferred to Oklahoma to finish his college career.

He was taken in the second round of the NFL Draft, mostly considered a threat to beat you with his running and a medicre thrower as a quarterback.

Hurts started the last four games of his rookie season and despite going 1-3, he obviously gave the Eagles a spark.

The spark became hope his second season when he started all 15 games and led Philly to an 8-7 record and the playoffs.

Last season, he completed 66% of his passes for 3,701 yards and 22 touchdowns. He also rushed for 760 yards and 13 touchdowns.

The Eagles advanced to the Super Bowl, where they lost to the Kansas City Chiefs 38-35.

That was the final season of Hurts' rookie contract and instead of taking an option of one more year, the Eagles made him the highest-paid player in NFL history.

It's a record that probably won't last long but still, Hurts persevered, taught himself how to pass and is a premier player once again.

. . .

This is the time of year when the NBA is watched, not as close as college basketball but with some interest.

After such great success under one of the best coaches, Steve Kerr (and good guy) Golden State looked more it belonged in the G League instead of the NBA playoffs in its second loss to Sacramento.

The Warriors had 20 turnovers and and 26 fouls, some of them silly, and one which resulted in a one-game suspension. Draymond Green stomped on Domantas Sabonis chest resulting an ejection.

The Warriors, with this current group of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Green, have never trailed 2-0 in a playoff series, and without Green, it could easily become 3-0.

. . .

While on the subject of the NBA, the combine camp -- set for May 16-18 in Chicago -- will soon no longer an option for players hoping to be drafted.

The NBA and its players association have reached an agreement that the camp will be mandatory beginning next year.

In recent years participation had started to dry up as NBA teams scheduled one-on-one workouts with players they are interested in.

. . .

Dez Thomas was losing weight and he was doing it the right way, by a healthy diet and working out, which he takes to a different level.

He was definitely not using a diabetes medicine that has become such a fad with the rich and famous. There is a shortage for those who actually need it.

"Nothing but fish and greens," he said was his diet.

Thomas was cleaning machines at 10 Fitness on Rodney Parham where he's an assistant manager but pulls his duties making sure the entire gym is always clean. It was in March when he was asked about the weight.

The discipline and hard work has paid off for the Hot Springs native. He's just returned from Memphis where he won the Heavyweight Division of the NPC Memphis Championship for bodybuilding and brought home the trophy for Overall Winner as well.

He made it a clean sweep by also capturing the Overall for Men's Physique.

For an encore, he went to Colorado and did the same thing in the NPC Northern Colorado Championships.

It was not a surprise Thomas wins every event he enters. He makes Adonis look like a 97-pound weakling. In addition to winning contests and helping manage 10 Fitness, he finds time to train individuals.


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