Jalen Hurts knows he couldn’t have won the Super Bowl without some major help.
Hurts, who led the Philadelphia Eagles to a 40-22 trouncing of the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 59, credits his father for playing a vital role in him winning the NFL title.
Hurts’ dad, who coached him in football while Hurts was in high school, was on the field with him after the game where the two shared a long hug.
“It’s been a few moments he’s cried over my career. A few, a few, ” Hurts said Wednesday on “TODAY.”
“Just the joy that it brought him, that means everything to you because you know that’s a man that was on your side throughout every phase of the journey that’s endured some of those things, as well, and so I’m so appreciative of him and what this journey’s been for us.”
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“You go, meet people and you hear the word ‘champ’ and you just think about how hard you work for that and I think it really kicks in when you celebrate it with your teammates,” he said.
Hurts went on to share his “most memorable moment” after his big win, which he explains took some time to soak in.
“Seeing the confetti fall and putting the trophy in your hands for the first time, going in the locker room and just seeing the party my teammates were having … the focus that we had coming in and then the fun we had when we left,” he said. “I think that’s what it’s all about.”
The Eagles’ victory ended the Chiefs’ bid to win three consecutive Super Bowls, which no team has ever done. The Chiefs had won the previous two Super Bowls, including a victory over the Eagles two years ago in Super Bowl 57. Hurts said that experience helped the team grow to get and get to this point.
“Everything happens right on time. You may not want to go through certain things, but you can look at something that’s failure and either win, or you learn,” he said. “But you have to learn from it, and I think some people sacrifice so much and put so much work in and they say they feel like they’re being punished for something .”
The thrill of winning a Super Bowl has hardly worn off, but is Hurts already eyeing another title next season?
“You know, all the work you put in, it’s about ‘How can I stay where I am and where we are?’ I think that’s what it comes down to,” he said. “I think our team has been able to experience that, to have a taste of victory and hoisting that trophy and, from I’ve heard, it’s an addictive feeling. And so it requires a lot of hard work to do that.”
