11 February 2023 , 19:33
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Jalen Hurts has used his elite vision to bamboozle defences all season, yet it is his social conscious and awareness off the field that is making the Philadelphia Eagles quarterback a legend ahead of Super Bowl LVII.
Philadelphia fans are renowned for being passionate supporters of their teams, but they haven’t had many of their own truly superstar quarterbacks to get behind. In fact, Hurts is the first quarterback in Eagles history to take the team to the playoffs in each of his first two seasons as a full-time starter.
He’s only the sixth Eagles QB to lead more than one team to the postseason: Tommy Thompson (1947-1949), Ron Jaworski (1978-1981), Randall Cunningham (1988-1990, 1992), Donovan McNabb (seven times from 2000 through 2009) and Nick Foles (2013, 2017 and 2018). Only Cunningham, McNabb and Foles were drafted by the Eagles, so Hurts is in even more exclusive Philly company.
He is a pioneer off the field as well. Less than 2% of certified NFL agents are Black women, yet Hurts is represented by Nicole Lynn. At Klutch Sport, she became the first Black woman to represent a starting NFL quarterback as Hurts is a key advocate for women in sport, employing an all-female management team.
The 24-year-old’s media relations and client services management team, including Rachel Everett - who handles his marketing too - Chantal Romain, Shakeemah Simmons-Winter, and Jenna Malphrus. Sky Sports NFL and Her Huddle presenter Hannah Wilkes heaped praise on Hurts’ awareness and initiative to inspire change.
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“I don’t get the impression it was totally intentional like he was looking for an all-female team - it was about who are the best people for the job,” Wilkes exclusively told Mirror Sport in Arizona. “It is brilliant to see.
Jalen Hurts is surrounded by an all-female team, while he is represented by a Black woman in Nicole Lynn (Matt Slocum/AP/REX/Shutterstock)“People saw it at the start of the season and said, ‘hold on, Jalen Hurts’ entire team is female’ - and it’s come up again now as he was in the MVP conversation. He’s an incredible young man and a very strong leader, which is the difference maker as a quarterback. They’re the leader of the team: it doesn’t matter if you’ve been in the sport 20 years like Tom Brady or are much newer to it. That’s where Hurts has really impressed.
“We should really celebrate a guy who is not only clearly very talented and is going to get better on the field, but who really has a social awareness of his place and what he can be - and the responsibility that comes with his platform.”
Hurts has enjoyed a tremendous season in what is just his third year in the NFL, elevating himself into MVP consideration. The 24-year-old lost just once as a starter all year, leading the Eagles to the number one seed in the NFC on the back of his 3,701 passing yards, 760 rushing yards and 35 total touchdowns.
Earlier this week, Hall of Famer Michael Strahan insisted Hurts has already become a face of the NFL on the back of his impressive 2022 season. The New York Giants legend said: “It’s very hard for me to be a fan of an Eagle, but I’m a big Jalen Hurts fan. Everything he does and who he is is very authentic. It's not about himself, it’s about the team.
Jalen Hurts has led the Philadelphia Eagles to the Super Bowl in just his third season in the NFL (Matt Rourke/AP/REX/Shutterstock)“This is a guy who has been put through so much he easily could have quit - in high school in college, in the pros - but he never has. He’s continued to work and evolve his game and look where he is right now; he’s definitely a face of the NFL.”
Philadelphia is a big and passionate sports market, which can be a difficult landscape for a young athlete to navigate. However, Hurts has been welcomed to the City of Brotherly Love with open arms as he leads the Eagles to the brink of a second Super Bowl title. Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton heaped praise on Hurts as his defence will attempt to stifle the magician from Houston, Texas.
“Quarterbacks are always going to be great in this league, and Jalen Hurts is no exception to that,” Bolton exclusively told Mirror Sport ahead of Super Bowl Sunday. “He’s been phenomenal all season.
“He’s very elusive, can escape with his feet and make al the throws. He’s a great player and we have a lot of respect for him. He can do just about anything as a quarterback so we’re going to have our hands full, but we’ll be ready for it.”
Hurts’ Eagles take on Bolton and the Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII at the University of Phoenix Stadium on Sunday.
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Watch Super Bowl LVII live on Sky Sports Main Event UHD, Sky Sports NFL and NOW from 10pm on Sunday