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Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts made his first four starts in a No. 2 midnight green jersey. It was the number he proudly donned at Oklahoma. But Hurts always had his eye on a different number, the one he made famous at Alabama.
He really wanted to rock the No. 1 so when punter Cameron Johnston left the building, Hurts wasted no time in grabbing it. Some saw the jersey switch as a statement, that Hurts was now the undisputed QB1 following the trade of Carson Wentz. It’s a good story, but that wasn’t the reason.
“I always grew up wearing No. 2 because of my brother,” Hurts explained. “I always wore No. 2 but when I went to Oklahoma, obviously CeeDee Lamb wore No. 2, and he offered to give me the number but I didn’t want it, too much respect for him as a player so I ended up wearing No. 1 and I liked how it looked on me so I kept it. So I told myself when I got drafted I would wear No. 1 before I wore No. 2 and my first year I had to wear No. 2 but I was just waiting for No. 1 to open up.”
Whatever the number is on his back, Hurts never grows tired of seeing the next generation flashing his fit. Seeing those kids with a No. 1 or No. 2 jersey is both inspiring and humbling to him.
“It’s surreal. I look back at fans at Alabama, I can turn on the game right now and see people wearing No. 2 jerseys and at Oklahoma, they’re wearing the No. 1 Hurts jersey only being a year there. And in the City of Philadelphia, I see so many kids wearing the 1 jersey, even the 2 jersey, and it means a lot. It means a lot.”
What Does Toughness Mean to Jalen Hurts?
Tough is a word that gets thrown around pretty liberally in professional sports. Jason Kelce is the poster boy for toughness, mixed with equal parts grit and determination. Another guy possessing that rare gene is Hurts who put it all on display in Week 1. He willed the Eagles to victory by grinding out impossible first downs.
On Thursday, Hurts attempted to provide his own definition of the word toughness. And what it means to him.
“Somebody who is able of having the mentality to play the next play,” Hurts said. “Kind of being where their feet are, playing the next play, being able to overcome, being a tenacious player, having tenacity about them, and being able to be resilient and persevere through anything. I never ride waves. I never get too high or too low. I just try and stay consistent and be persistent in achieving the goal at hand.”
Don’t Worry About DeVonta Smith’s Targets
A.J. Brown was the conquering hero against the Detroit Lions, an unstoppable force who made 10 catches for 155 yards in one of the best debuts in Eagles franchise history. One thing, no other wide receiver recorded a catch in the game. The offense is still searching for its identity as Hurts searches for ways to get all his weapons involved.
“I don’t know how it’ll go,” Hurts said. “I can’t tell you how it’ll go. I just want to win.”
It’s too early to hit the panic button, although DeVonta Smith putting up a goose egg was curious. Hurts’ one-time teammate from Alabama had zero catches on four targets. Not to worry, he’ll be ready for Week 2.
“He’s ready like he’s always ready,” Hurts said. “I don’t think anything changes. He’s ready to play Week 2.”
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