Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts is one of the best signal-callers in the NFL. Here are three little known facts about him.
Jalen Hurts is one of the up-and-coming quarterbacks in the NFL. He’s won a national title in Alabama. Then transferred to Oklahoma for his senior season once Tua Tagovailoa took his starting spot. Once his college days were over, he was picked in the second round of the 2020 NFL draft and led the Philadelphia Eagles to their first Super Bowl appearance in six years.
Hurts has become a household name to anyone who follows the NFL, but there are three facts that we’ve found we’re sure not a lot of people know about him.
Hurts’ high school coach was his father
Jalen Hurts was exposed to the game of football a bit earlier than everyone else. Growing up, Hurts constantly joined Channelview High School’s football team in different drills which was coached by his father (Averion Sr.).
During his senior year, Hurts passed for 2,384 yards with 26 touchdown passes and rushed for 1,391 yards and 25 touchdowns. He was dubbed a four-star recruit and one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks of his class. One of the secrets Hurts claims that fueled his success was being coached by his father who was actually harder on him than anyone else.
He was also a powerlifter in high school.
Outside football, Hurts was obsessed with adding muscle to his frame. If anyone was surprised why Hurts is built the way that he is, you should have your answer. As a sophomore, Hurts finished 2nd in a powerlifting meet in the under 198 lbs. category by squatting 500 lbs., bench pressing 275 lbs., and dead-lifted 585 lbs.
The most impressive part is that a year later, Hurts would increase his squat to 575 lbs. During his time in Alabama, Hurts managed to increase his squat to 600 lbs. and the only other players who could match him were from their offensive line.
He found his agent through Instagram.
One of the most important things an athlete needs to do before going pro is to hire an agent. Oftentimes, most players play it safe and go with someone who already manages multiple players in the league. After his last game, Hurts found a message on his Instagram from Nicole Lynn asking him one question:
“Hey, have you picked an agent? If not, I’d love to link,” Lynn said.
Surprised to see Hurts respond, Lynn met with Hurts’ father before even meeting with Jalen himself. Impressed by her resume and work ethic, Hurts gave Lynn a chance. A few years later, she was the catalyst for facilitating Hurts’ record-breaking $255 million extension.
