Bleeding Green Nation
Philadelphia’s franchise quarterback is really coming into his own.
At the far end of the NovaCare Complex practice facility in early June, Jalen Hurts was a shadowy, solitary figure casually flinging passes in a blue sweatsuit and faded blue throwback Montreal Expos cap.
Yet, the focus of the hundreds of people gathered there seemed to be the players on the Eagles’ practice fields in front them, a handful of girls’ flag football teams playing for the respective Pennsylvania and New Jersey Flag Football Championships. No one actually noticed the Super Bowl MVP until he came over to one of the main fields to watch.
Once fixed in, Hurts stayed to watch the semifinal and championship rounds. Hurts has become the face of the NFL’s flag football initiative, promoting the arrival of men’s and women’s flag football at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, and who knows, maybe one day winning an Olympic gold medal as the quarterback for Team USA’s first flag football team.
For now, Hurts will laud over the kingdom of the Philadelphia Eagles fanbase.
So far, he’s been a good king.
It’s taken a few years, but Hurts is gradually coming out of his guarded shell. On this particular day, Sunday, June 1, the Eagles’ franchise quarterback was very generous with his time, incredibly approachable, incredibly accommodating, and incredibly transparent. One of the coaches, who also knows a former area star high school quarterback that Hurts is mentoring, approached Hurts to ask if he had heard anything recently from their mutual friend. At first, a security officer tried to brush off the coach, but Hurts waved off the security guard and approached the coach.
“That was impressive,” the coach came away saying. “You see and hear all the time about these star athletes taking the time mentoring kids, when they don’t invest any real time with them at all. They do it because it makes them look good. Jalen knew everything about (the kid) I coached and asked me if he was thinking of transferring schools. He even knew the schools the kid was thinking about. He told me to make sure to check on a few things, which also impressed me, because it told me Jalen knows the kid.
“When the same kid tried approaching a particular basketball star in this city, he was royally blown off, and you know who I am referring to. Hurts spoke to him. I know he speaks to numerous kids in the area. You could see that he’s genuinely investing in the area. I will say one thing: I don’t know if I’d suggest to anyone that they shake his hand or hug the man. His hand is like a vice grip. It was like hugging a piece of steel. It’s like bullets could bounce off that guy.”
A few years ago, Hurts may not have allowed people to enter his personal sphere like that.
Maybe it was seeing a different side of himself that he is allowing the...
