Jalen Hurts has “been that guy” for a good minute. However, his road to becoming a household name among sports fans wasn’t an easy route for the 24-year-old Philadelphia Eagles quarterback, per 360 Baseline.
The former starting QB for the University of Oklahoma graced the cover of Essence for their May/June men’s issue. This marks the first time that the private Hurts has his first-cover story.
From his days at the University of Alabama – Tuscaloosa, wearing locs and losing his position as starting QB to reinviting himself as a Sooner and then drafted, Hurts isn’t “hurting” for too much now in the league.
During his sophomore year, the communications major led Alabama to an 11-1 season, earned the MVP title and scored a victory against Clemson at the Sugar Bowl. His college-winning streak reached a pit stop in January 2018.
Hurts struggled in the first half of the game against the Georgia Bulldogs. Coach Nick Saban surprised fans by using the soon-to-be QB for the Miami Dolphins, Tua Tagovailoa in the second half. The starter was then benched on national television,
“We have a lot of guys in the quarterback room that play really well,” he said, still on the field. “[Tua] just stepped in and did his thing for the team,” Hurts told Essence.
Saban placed Tagovailoa as the frontrunner later in September while the Philly star took a backseat. His mother had her own thoughts sharing,
“When has Jalen ever whined, pouted or [talked] about what y’all don’t know takes place behind the scenes?” she posted on Facebook. “Jalen spoke his truth, finally, after [three] years of being compliant and controlled.”
Following his demotion, Hurts was eligible to transfer to the University of Oklahoma and regain the spotlight as the team’s starting QB. He led the Sooners to a 12-1 season and helped the team get the Big 12 Championship before losing to LSU during the National Championship.
The adversity he faced at Alabama didn’t deter the athlete’s overall confidence,
“Don’t say much, just work,” says Hurts. “Leaders lead because their peers let them lead.”
In addition to making history by becoming one-half of the Black starting QBs at this year’s Super Bowl (Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs), Hurts gave minor details about his love life with on-and-off girlfriend, Bryonna Burrows,
“I’m not married or anything like that,” he says. “But I am spoken for.”
The two met during his undergrad days at Alabama and have made it this far into their relationship. She works as an IT professional and is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Hurts, a member of Omega Psi Phi, who joined the organization in 2020. He’s the first Omega to start in an NFL game since Steve McNair who played the Tennessee Oilers.
One thing is for sure, the popular QB knows the trajectory of his life requires a level of fascination,
“My heart knows what it knows. It knows when it’s truly intrigued,” he explained.
