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Jalen Hurts Kept 'Rocky Steps' Promise He Made to Himself on Draft Day

Once again, Hurts made good on his promise.

Eva Geitheim

Philadelphia Eagles owner, Jeffrey Lurie, left, joins head coach Nick Sirianni and quarterback Jalen Hurts atop one of the team buses during the Super Bowl 59 victory parade.
Philadelphia Eagles owner, Jeffrey Lurie, left, joins head coach Nick Sirianni and quarterback Jalen Hurts atop one of the team buses during the Super Bowl 59 victory parade. / Daniella Heminghaus / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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Nearly five years after he was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles, Jalen Hurts has finally been to one of Philadelphia's most prominent landmarks, the 'Rocky steps' at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. When Hurts was drafted by the Eagles back in 2020, he promised himself he would not visit the famous steps until he became a champion.

“I told myself when I got drafted that I wouldn’t go to the Rocky steps until I won a championship… and now we here," Hurts said during his speech at the Eagles' Super Bowl parade.

Hurts came close to reaching that promise two seasons ago, when the Eagles were defeated 38-35 by the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl. This time around, Hurts returned and they got revenge, dominating the Chiefs en route to a 40-22 victory and his first career Super Bowl title. Hurts was named the Super Bowl MVP after recording 293 total yards and three touchdowns.

This marked the Eagles' second Super Bowl title in franchise history and a return to the same steps the team celebrated their first Super Bowl at back in 2018.

In typical Hurts fashion though, he spent much of his speech not talking about himself, and instead thanking the fans, Howie Roseman, Nick Sirianni, and his teammates—particularly his defense who he shouted out.

"I want to thank my teammates," Hurts said. "... going to the defensive side, defense wins championships. Lotta love [for] the defense, that front seven, how they played. How those linebackers flew around this year, and how those DBs set the tone."

Even so, the crowd did not forget all Hurts put in to get the Eagles another Super Bowl win, chanting MVP as Hurts came up for his speech, and then sending him off the stage with a roaring applause.

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Eva Geitheim
EVA GEITHEIM

Eva Geitheim is a contributor to the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Prior to joining SI in December 2024, she wrote for Newsweek, Gymnastics Now and Dodgers Nation. A Bay Area native, she has a bachelor's in communications from UCLA. When not writing, she can be found baking or re-watching Gilmore Girls.

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