Jalen Hurts
A quarterback who transformed from a college backup into the poised leader of a Super Bowl contender, redefining resilience in modern football.
Born 1998 (age 28)·American football player·Birthday: August 7·Generation Z
Biography
Jalen Hurts's football journey is a masterclass in perseverance. At Alabama, he led the Crimson Tide to a national championship game as a freshman, only to be famously benched at halftime of the next title game. Rather than transfer immediately, he stayed, contributing as a backup and winning another championship. His final college season at Oklahoma was a Heisman-finalist showcase, proving his elite talent. Drafted in the second round by the Philadelphia Eagles, he patiently took over the starting job and, in 2022, delivered an MVP-caliber season. He led the Eagles to the Super Bowl, where his heroic three-touchdown performance in a narrow loss cemented his status as a franchise cornerstone, admired for his unflappable demeanor and dual-threat dominance.
Generation Z
1997–2012
Born into smartphones, social media, and school shootings. The most diverse generation in history. Pragmatic about money, fluid about identity, anxious about the climate. They do not remember a world before the internet.
Jalen was born in 1998, placing them squarely in the Generation Z. The events that shaped this generation — social media, climate anxiety, and a pandemic — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Jalen Was Born
The biggest hits of 1998
#1 Movie
Saving Private Ryan
Best Picture
Shakespeare in Love
#1 TV Show
Seinfeld
Jalen's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1998Born
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2003Started school
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2011Became a teenager
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2014Could drive
Russia annexes Crimea; Ebola outbreak in West Africa
Gas: $3.37/galHome: $160,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Happy" — Pharrell WilliamsBest Picture: Birdman
2016Could vote
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2019Turned 21
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 28 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Led the Philadelphia Eagles to Super Bowl LVII, scoring three rushing touchdowns in the game.
- Finished as the runner-up for the NFL MVP award in the 2022 season.
- Became the first player in NFL history to have 10+ rushing touchdowns in consecutive seasons as a quarterback.
- Won the SEC Offensive Player of the Year award in 2016 as a true freshman at Alabama.
Did You Know?
He earned a bachelor's degree in communication and information sciences from Alabama in just three years.
His father, Averion Hurts, was a high school football coach, and Jalen played for him at Channelview High School in Texas.
He is a distant relative of former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
He famously writes 'I am' affirmations on his wristband before every game.
“I've always been a person that's been counted out, and I think that's okay. I know what I have inside.”
