Former Alabama QB Jalen Hurts Releasing Children's Book

Hurts made the announcement on the Today Show on Monday morning. He explained on the program that "it’s always been a dream of mine to have my own children’s book.“

“With this book, I’m excited to extend some of my lessons learned throughout my journey to the next generation, and hopefully it strikes a chord of resilience and encourages our kids, the reader, whomever, to believe in themselves,” Hurts said on the Today Show. “I wouldn’t be where I am today if it weren’t for the lessons learned, the mentorship and books just like mine.”

Hurts partnered with Penguin Random House, a publishing company, to create the book. The British-American multinational conglomerate made a statement about the book and Hurts' debut as an author:

"From Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts comes an empowering story about friendship, the power of teamwork, and achieving goals together.

"Jalen is so excited for the new school year because this is the year he’ll finally get to try out for the football team! But when he arrives at school, he learns the unthinkable—that the football team has been cut. He and his friends are devastated. But Jalen isn’t ready to give up, and with some advice from some friends, maybe—just maybe—they can save the day.

"Better than a Touchdown is a love letter to the power of community, being there for one another, and how a piece of good advice can change the course of a day. Told with Jalen’s signature wisdom and gorgeous art by Nneka Myers, Better than a Touchdown carries a message we can all learn from: that by working together, there’s nothing we can’t accomplish."

It has been quite the year for Hurts as in addition to writingp a children's book and winning a Super Bowl, he was also named to the prestigious Time100 Most Influential People of 2025 list in April.

The two-time NFL Pro Bowler spent three years at Alabama and was the starter in his freshman and sophomore seasons, compiling an overall record of 27-2. In those two years, he combined for 4,861 passing yards and 40 touchdown passes. Hurts also ran for 1,809 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns. After being benched for Tua Tagovailoa, he transferred to Oklahoma and was a finalist for the 2019 Heisman Trophy.

Read More: