Super Bowl Week and Being on the World's Stage Didn't Change Jalen Hurts
PHOENIX - Jalen Hurts had the world at his fingertips this week.
He literally did.
Reporters from across the globe fired questions at him during his three days of media availability during Super Bowl LVII week. They came from Paris, Germany, Denmark, and Mexico. There may have been others, too.
Hurts may have been nonplussed by it all, but Haason Reddick marveled at it.
“I didn’t know there were this many football fans around the world,” he said when a member of the Denmark media asked him a question.
“That’s crazy to me to think you flew all the way from Denmark to Arizona just to ask that question. It’s crazy to think this sport outside of America could be this big.”
Hurts never flinched, whether it was under the bright lights of the main podium inside the team hotel’s biggest ballroom or in one of the smaller rooms just off the main stage atop a riser and behind a microphone.
He was the same QB this week that he was during the previous 20-plus weeks of the season, calm and confident, two traits he said are important to have as one of the team’s leaders.
“This is a moment that you definitely want to embrace everything with it because you worked really hard for this opportunity, but I think it’s important to stay neutral,” he said. “I know there’s a whole group of men looking at me, expecting me to go out there and make things happen.”
Hurts even added to his greatest hits collection of quotes when asked about his doubters and how he has been able to prove everybody wrong by reaching a Super Bowl in just his second season as a starter and at the age of 24.
“I had a purpose before everybody had an opinion,” he said, then added, “I know ya’ll like that one.”
The QB gave an interesting answer when asked who on the team helped his game develop.
The answers, in order:
- Defensive backs Darius Slay and James Bradberry.
“They compete with the receivers so well and it always makes it hard for us and we definitely have to be on target with certain things and I think that’s heightened my play,” said Hurts.
- Center Jason Kelce, offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland, and defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon
“(Kelce’s) knowledge and his veteran-ship and his experience have meant a lot to me,” said the QB. “That trickles onto his coach, coach Stout, I have a great relationship with him. Ever since I got here, he’s been hands-on, he’s been trying to get me to see some things.
“I think as you grow as a quarterback, you always want to soak up as much as you can and some of those things take time, but I think being able to see the game from multiple perspectives, seeing it from the center’s point of view, seeing it from the O-line coach’s point of view, seeing it from JG’s point of view, the defensive backs point of view, all of those things have helped me.”
Ed Kracz is the publisher of SI.com’s Fan Nation Eagles Today and co-host of the Eagles Unfiltered Podcast. Check out the latest Eagles news at www.SI.com/NFL/Eagles or www.eaglesmaven.com and please follow him on Twitter: @kracze.
