The laughter filled the room faster than one of his highlight-reel scampers. Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts was proud of himself after delivering a one-liner that clearly set the temperature in the room.
The Super Bowl media circus can be exhausting but Hurts made the best of it. Speaking to reporters on February 9, in his third media obligation of a hectic week, Hurts put everyone on notice. His doubters. His haters. His new fans. His day ones. Purpose trumps opinion.
“I had a purpose before everybody had an opinion. It’s not about anybody else,” Hurts told reporters. “Y’all know y’all liked that one.”
Hurts smiled and laughed at his own joke, then the entire room erupted in a hearty chuckle.
“It’s not about anybody else, it’s just about going and doing it because that’s what you want,” Hurts said. “That’s what you set out there to do so I’ve always been my biggest critic and as the success has come it’ll continue to stay that way.”
#Eagles QB Jalen Hurts, asked about proving his critics wrong: “I had a purpose before anybody had an opinion.”
… “I know y’all liked that one.” 😂😂
When asked to elaborate on what it would mean to win his first Lombardi Trophy, Hurts got a bit more contemplative while hearkening back to the process. He and the Eagles are taking it one step at a time.
“I think it would be an honor, it would be awesome,” Hurts said. “I think that is what we work for. Any individual out there that puts on a uniform, that has an opportunity to play this game, we put so much work into it, we want to be the best. And there’s only a select few number of guys who take those steps and take advantage of these moments and these opportunities … it’s another step.”
Eagles Enter Super Bowl as Betting Favorites
The Eagles are 1.5-point favorites heading into Super Bowl LVII. It’s a pretty consistent spread across the various betting websites. What a difference five years make. The Eagles were the proud underdogs of Super Bowl LII and rode the disrespect to a title.
Correction to earlier tweet:
The Eagles are getting the bulk of Super Bowl spread bets & money, so far, moving from *+1.5 DOGS to -1.5 FAVES* @BetMGM, w/ KC more popular to win outright:
Eagles -1.5 — 69% of bets, 72% of money
Chiefs ML — 58% of bets, 45% of money
Not this time. Not that it matters. Hurts wouldn’t change his approach whether he was the underdog or the favorite.
“Like I said, I don’t really think any of that matters,” Hurts said. “We’re going to go into the game controlling the things that we can control truly, that’s the main thing right there. Go out there and try and play our best brand of football, and do it at a high level.”
Hurts was quick to acknowledge his role as the captain of the ship, although it falls on everyone on the roster to play their parts and play them well on Sunday.
“There’s a whole group of men looking at me, expecting me to go out there and make things happen,” Hurts said. “Ultimately, everyone has to dominate their box and do their job. But I think just being in this role and having this job, I think the leaders need to lead.”
Jalen Hurts
“This is a moment I definitely want to embrace everything with it. There’s a whole group of men looking at me and expecting me to make things happen. Having this role on this team, the leaders need to lead.”
Favorite Cheesesteak? The Jalen Special at FoodChasers
Move over Pat’s and Geno’s because there is a new favorite cheesesteak shop in town. Hurts declared his favorite spot for the greasy sandwich is FoodChasers Kitchen in Elkins Park. The Eagles quarterback gave the shop a special shoutout during Super Bowl Week.
“FoodChasers,” Hurts said. “The Jalen Special. I put my little ingredients on it. I made it just right.”
The Jalen Special features seasoned steak, fried onions, Cooper Sharp cheese, and mayonnaise. Hurts filmed a Pepsi commercial there in July 2022 and continues to support the black-owned business run by twin sisters Maya and Kala Johnstone.
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Eagles QB Jalen Hurts Puts Everybody on Notice at Super Bowl