Hearing Rich Homie Quan’s “Walk Thru” cued up anytime Jalen Hurts enters a room would make perfect sense, especially now seeing as though two weeks after shutting down naysayers with a Super Bowl LIX victory, the man has again proven that he is an MVP on and off the field.
The Philadelphia Eagles quarterback was presented with the Citizen of the Year Award on Tuesday (Feb. 25) at the second annual gala honoring him and nine others for making a positive and lasting impact on the city. The NFL superstar launched the Jalen Hurts Foundation last summer, though his history of philanthropy predates its inception. Just last year, the organization donated $200,000 to schools across the city, providing 300 air conditioners to ensure students were able to learn comfortably inside of the classroom. The humble leader also has a proven track record of showing up to encourage the youth and participation in events that provide resources to the pupils throughout his five years in the league.
It is reasons like those that Gov. Josh Shapiro heralded Hurts and his fiancée, Bry Burrows, for using “their celebrity in this community to do more than just deliver a Super Bowl championship for us. They understand that kids can’t learn when they’re sweating, and so they decided to install thousands of air conditioners in our Philadelphia public schools. They understand that we need to make sure more girls play sports and have everything they need, from their equipment to the sports bras that they donated.”
The elected official further praised the duo for understanding “the importance of taking young athletes, young individuals in our communities, and giving them strong mentors so they continue to walk a path that is true and just.” When the football standout took to the podium, his message was simple and really no different than the earnest words he has echoed in interviews when asked about his mission. He said, “What I strive to do is serve, mentor, progress, [and] give people opportunities that they don’t even know that they have.” The elite athlete also charged those in the room to “push that person next to you to continue, continue to have that drive, continue to give great effort, and to bring someone with you.”
Earlier this month, on Feb. 9, Hurts played a crucial role in leading the Eagles to a 22-40 win against two-time Super Bowl champions, the Kansas City Chiefs. His MVP performance on the gridiron included two touchdowns, running 72 yards, and completing 17 of an attempted 22 passes in the matchup. Off the field, the University of Oklahoma alum has generated just as much praise for the all-women management team that is helping to make him a winner on all fronts.