As the confetti fell and his Philadelphia Eagles teammates celebrated all around him, Jalen Hurts continued to look like the calmest man at Super Bowl LIX.
He had just achieved his dream, lifting the Vince Lombardi Trophy after five NFL seasons full of highs and lows, expectation and pressure.
Instantly after the game, Hurts told reporters he was processing his emotions, and it still appears the Super Bowl MVP hasn’t quite come to terms with his achievement.
“I’m still processing it,” the quarterback told CNN’s Phil Mattingly on The Lead while celebrating with his family at Walt Disney World in Florida.
“I don’t know if there is an expected feeling that you’re supposed to feel, I just think about all the effort, all the time, all the blood, sweat and tears that have been put in over the course of my career, all of the lessons learned through the ups and the downs. So it’s something that I appreciate a ton.
“I give a ton of gratitude to everything I’ve had to endure. I also give a ton of gratitude to my teammates, my family and all the support.”
It wasn’t any ordinary performance from Hurts on Sunday, quite possibly the best of his career – collegiate or pro.
The 26-year-old set a new Super Bowl record for rushing yards (72) by a quarterback and also threw 17-for-22 for 221 yards for two touchdowns and an interception as his team completely dominated the Chiefs.
It was a quarterback showing worthy of all the praise he has received since, but guiding a team to Super Bowl glory wasn’t always on the cards for Hurts.
His first taste of the big stage came back in 2017 when he led his Alabama Crimson Tide to the College Football Playoff national championship game. That proved to be Hurts’ first real taste of disappointment as ‘Bama lost a thriller to Clemson, 35-31.
A year later, he was back in the same game but got benched for Tua Tagovailoa at halftime due to his poor performance. The Crimson Tide beat Georgia in overtime courtesy of Tagovailoa’s heroics, but Hurts was demoted to a backup the next season.
It was a knock that Hurts had no option but to take, and he later transferred to Oklahoma, successfully rebuilding himself with the Sooners as an NFL prospect.
In 2023, he then had a shot at history on the biggest stage of them all, leading the Eagles to the Super Bowl against the Kansas City Chiefs. Despite playing well, Hurts suffered another defeat.
“Everything happens right on time. You just have to run your race and stay the course,” he told CNN after finally overcoming his critics.
“It’s been a journey of highs and lows and different moments where I’ve had opportunities to learn from. I never ran from any challenges, I didn’t let a bump in the road deter me from what I envisioned for myself and that’s just to be the best man, the best leader and best player that I can be.
“To find myself in Philadelphia and to make history and bring another championship home to this city, it means everything.”
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