Why Jalen Hurts faces biggest test of Eagles career, and the 2 NBA legends he learned from

PHILADELPHIA − "Jalen! Jalen!"

The fans always yell that now wherever Jalen Hurts goes, as they want him to sign an autograph, smile for a quick picture, or give a word or two of encouragement.

They're hardly alone.

Reporters from all over the country want some of Hurts' time, so Hurts can tell them how he "keeps the main thing the main thing." Companies want Hurts to endorse their product, so Hurts can tell them how "the rent is due every day."

Fans want more and more of Hurts, hoping that he'll tell them "the standard is the standard."

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Have we mentioned that Hurts is a workaholic who is so devoted to his main job as the quarterback of the Philadelphia Eagles, that it's easy to wonder how he finds the time to accommodate any of these requests, let alone many of them?

And all of that is in the context of Hurts getting even better than his MVP runner-up season in 2022, when he led the Eagles to the Super Bowl.

That, in essence, will be Hurts' greatest challenge in 2023, beginning this Sunday when the Eagles open their season on the road against the New England Patriots.

Never have the expectations been higher, both for Hurts and the Eagles.

That's because, in three short seasons, Hurts has gone from a controversial second-round pick and gadget quarterback to a competent starter to a superstar and franchise quarterback with a five-year contract extension worth as much as $255 million.

And as Hurts has improved, so have the Eagles, going from a 4-11-1 laughingstock at the end of the Doug Pederson-Carson Wentz era to a Super Bowl team under head coach Nick Sirianni.

Hurts has handled all of it with his typical singular focus.

"It’s easy for me because the main thing is the main thing," Hurts said. "Never change. I don’t do the social media stuff, but I know you guys see the (events he does) and all the different things.

"But when I’m here, it’s for football. This is what I do. This is why I’m here. Regardless of what’s going on, or whatever it is, when I’m by myself, when I have the time to think, and decompress, and do whatever, I think about winning. That’s the only thing that matters."

How Hurts' applies lessons from Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant to Eagles

A recent Sports Illustrated article detailed just how committed Hurts is toward improving.

Hurts spent time this offseason studying how Michael Jordan handled his fame (he tightened his circle) and how the late Kobe Bryant evolved into a leader while overcoming injuries and adversity.

But he also spent the past two offseasons working with Adam Dedeaux, who coaches elite QBs in Southern California. That is something Hurts has never disclosed to the media, saying only vaguely that he has worked out in Texas and California and other spots during the offseason.

That's why Hurts, who hadn't read the SI piece, recently seemed surprised when he was asked about Ted Rath, the Eagles’ VP of player performance, setting up the sessions with Dedeaux.

"I didn’t even know that was in there," Hurts said. "I don’t think I’ve told you guys that, blatantly, ever. But I think I have my process of doing stuff. And I think it’s evolved since I’ve gotten here. And I think it’ll continue to evolve as I grow as a player."

The results speak for themselves.

The article detailed how Dedeaux saw immediately that Hurts could throw, that he wasn't just a running quarterback. That was apparent last season, when Hurts improved his completion percentage from 61.3% in 2021 to 66.5%. He threw for 3,701 yards and ran for 760 more. He passed for 22 touchdowns and set a franchise record for an Eagles QB with 13 rushing TDs.

But Hurts' biggest improvement was something the Buccaneers exposed in the playoffs in January 2022, forcing Hurts to throw while rolling to his left. In the playoff game, Hurts threw two early interceptions as the Buccaneers raced to a 31-0 lead in their 31-15 win.

That wasn't an issue last season. In the Super Bowl, Hurts threw for 304 yards and ran for 70 more in the Eagles' 38-35 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Hurts will say often that he spends his offseason "turning my weaknesses into strengths." He then added that people will then ask what his weaknesses are. To which Hurts responded: "That's for me to know."

But that has been evident, too, this summer, especially in the joint practices with the Browns and the Colts. Of course, none of that matters until the season starts and the games count.

Yet one sign of a franchise quarterback is the team following his example. For the Eagles, that's more players arriving early, staying late, working out, studying video and so forth.

"I think attitude reflects leadership," Hurts said. "I’m always aware of the role that I play in it. It’s happened naturally everywhere I’ve been and every team that I’ve been able to play for, start for. I see no difference here. I think in the end, it’s all about what you do on the field.

"So if I’m the person that sets the temperature and sets the pace with that, then that’s what needs to be done for us to be where we need to be. That’s something that you notice. You notice guys running after. You notice guys in the weight room more. And you notice guys doing anything. And you just want the team that cares about the culture consistently, and not just be the guy that sets it."

Hurts' Master's class in balancing expectations

Through all of that work, Hurts also found time to get a master's degree in human relations last spring from Oklahoma. This was after he graduated from Alabama with a degree in public relations.

And the degrees fit his leadership ability, both on the field and off, to a T.

On the field, it's evident in the rapport Hurts has with his top receivers, A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. Both had career years last season, as Brown set the Eagles' all-time record for yards receiving in a season with 1,496. Smith had 1,196. They are the first Eagles' receiving duo to each surpass 1,000 yards in a season.

Yet they both expect to be better this season, as Brown describes how his rapport with Hurts has gotten even better this summer.

"Just seeing stuff at the same exact time, and communicating on another level," Brown said. "The play may be a whole other play on the other side, but me and (Hurts) communicated something and we’re doing our own thing. I think that’s the beauty of this offense. That’s why I love playing with him. That’s why he’s my favorite quarterback because it’s the only offense I’ve been able to do that with.

"I think playing the game is that much easier when you can do those things. It’s like backyard football."

Off the field, Hurts recently represented the Eagles at a Philadelphia high school as part of their initiative to donate sports bras to 30,000 female athletes in the region. Hurts was among the panelists that included Hall of Fame boxer Laila Ali, U.S. women's national team soccer star and Olympic gold medalist Carli Lloyd, among others.

Hurts donated his time because of the strength that women have instilled in him. He often mentions the influences his mother and sister have in shaping him into a leader, saying it's as significant as his father and brother's influences on the football field.

That's also reflected in Hurts' choice to be represented by an all-female agency led by Nicole Lynn.

"You see how important it is to level out the playing field, to give everyone, and all the young girls out there, an opportunity to do what they put their minds to do," Hurts said. "That doesn’t have to be sports specifically, but a lot of it starts with encouragement, especially when you’re a kid.

"Not everyone has that encouragement, and not everyone has a mom to lean on."

Where does this come from?

In the end, Hurts is just like that kid at an Eagles practice this summer, screaming Hurts' name, hoping that he'd come over and sign his or her jersey or football, pose for a selfie, or offer a few words of encouragement.

After all, Hurts was once that kid. He never forgot the time when former Houston Texans star wide receiver Andre Johnson gave a young Hurts his cleats.

All of that matters to Hurts, as much as his success on the football field. That's why he strives for that balance.

"I think it takes great perspective to understand that," Hurts said. "And so, it’s a thing of management. You want to be respectful and show gratitude to the people that come support (you) because they don’t have to do that. But you also want to be reasonable with your time, as you are at work, as you are preparing and getting ready, and being intense in that."

We know how intense Hurts is. That's what drives him to improve on a fabulous 2022 season, to not only get back to the Super Bowl but to win it, then do it again. If Hurts does accomplish those goals, it won't be because he met the expectations of everyone else.

Rather, it'll be because he met his own expectations.

"I’ve never really reported to the opinions of others, the expectations of others, or the standards of others," Hurts said. "So I won’t start now."

Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@delawareonline.com. Follow on X @Mfranknfl.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: How Jalen Hurts prepared for the biggest test of Eagles career