“It’s a Philly thing.”
That has become the rallying cry of the Philadelphia Eagles. The catchphrase which sums up the city’s attitude towards adversity is emblazoned on sweatshirts, billboards and even Lincoln Financial Field as the team prepares for Sunday’s Super Bowl.
Pressure in Philadelphia is unlike anywhere else. The baying crowd, the intense media and fans unafraid of expressing their unfiltered feelings – the booing and throwing of snowballs at Santa Claus in 1968 has gone down in notorious sport history.
The atmosphere has proven too much for many sporting stars. Sometimes, the city of brotherly love isn’t so friendly.
But for Jalen Hurts, the pressure that comes with being the starting quarterback for the city’s NFL team has been like water off a duck’s back.
Surroundings
Whatever he’s turned his hand to, he’s succeeded at. Whether it be football, lifting weights or athletics, Hurts achieves the goals he sets for himself.
However, that can’t be said for his rendition of the Eagles’ fight song “Fly, Eagles Fly” – his singing on the riser after winning the NFC Championship indicated he needs to spend more time with a singing instructor than in the gym.
Singing aside, Hurts’ achievements are a tribute to not only his talents but also to the support team he has assembled.
His father, Averion, was the head coach at Channelview High School during Hurts’ time there and helped develop his son’s game as he took his formative steps.
Hurts stands with his father Averion (left) and his brother Averion Jr. (right) during his time with Oklahoma before the National Quarterback Club Awards Dinner & Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony The Scottsdale Resort at McCormick Ranch in Scottsdale, Ariz. on January 19, 2019.
Hurts stands with his father Averion (left) and his brother Averion Jr. (right) during his time with Oklahoma before the National Quarterback Club Awards Dinner & Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony The Scottsdale Resort at McCormick Ranch in Scottsdale, Ariz. on January 19, 2019.
Patrick Breen/The Republic/USA Today Network
Averion told ESPN that having worked with his son and seen how he’s handled pressure in the biggest moments of his career, he believed his biggest attribute wasn’t his running ability or his big arm, but his “mental capacity.”
Decked out in the green of the Eagles, the 24-year-old has oozed calm and composure as he’s ascended to the top of his field in just his second full season as a starter, becoming the driving force behind the team’s run to the Super Bowl.
But, from his all-women support team to his love of singer Anita Baker and the viral videos of his powerlifting achievements, Hurts is more than just an NFL quarterback
The quarterback has constructed an all-women support network around him, spearheaded by Hurts’ agent, Nicole Lynn of Klutch Sports Group.
Hurts is a keen advocate for empowering the women around him, something he says goes back to seeing his mother, Pamela, raise a family while studying for a master’s degree.
“I admire anyone who puts their head down and works for what they want. And I know women who do that daily, but they don’t get the same praise as men – they don’t get the praise that they deserve,” Hurts told Sports Illustrated.
“I’ve seen that now with tons of different women in my life that are hustlers. Athletes, coaches, women in the business world of sports. I see it all the time. And they deserve their flowers too. So if me saying something about it brings more attention to it, then I’m all for that.”
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As part of the NFL’s “My Cause, My Cleats” initiative earlier this season, Hurts had the motto “Women Empowerment” emblazoned on his shoes.
Lynn told Sports Illustrated last year that she first got in contact with Hurts via a direct message on Instagram after his final college game, in what she describes as a “total Hail Mary.”
She will become the first Black woman agent to represent an NFL quarterback in the Super Bowl and Hurts says he was drawn to working with Lynn because of her determination.
“I know the agent world in the NFL, and all sports, is very male-dominated,” he told Sports Illustrated. “But Nicole was really on top of her stuff. She was prepared. She knew what she was talking about. She was hungry. And she was determined.