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Jalen Hurts has a friend in South Carolina Women’s Basketball coach, Dawn Staley.
The Philadelphia-born coach, who has made her support of the Philadelphia Eagles well known, recently revealed that she frequently sends messages to Hurts, offering some inspiration.
As a quarterback in one of the toughest NFL markets, Staley feels that Hurts could use the frequent inspiration, even though he was considered one of the “coolest cats.”
“I know sometimes when you play for a team that’s in Philly, and you’re the quarterback, and you’re the star, it really is a lonely place,” said Staley.
“He’s QB1, we lose, the city goes crazy. So, I know it’s a lonely place. Sometimes I text him, ‘Hey, don’t get too high with the highs or low.’ He doesn’t… He doesn’t now. He’s the coolest cat that I know, but sometimes you need to hear that you’re the only one who is going to feel the pressure of everybody else, because other people in other positions can just kind of go under the radar, so to speak. When it’s the quarterback, and we know you’ve got the potential to take us to Super Bowls and win Super Bowls, you really feel the pressure.”
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Hurts’ run in Philadelphia hasn’t always been easy. Although he quickly earned the support of the city after taking over as the starter during his rookie effort, beating out the struggling Carson Wentz, a sophomore slump created a negative narrative about Hurts as a franchise quarterback.
Kylie Kelce and Dawn Staley talks about the pressure Jalen Hurts has being the quarterback in Philadelphia and how it can be really lonely for him. Dawn says she checks up on him, just to make sure he’s good. She also says Jalen is the coolest calmest person ever. pic.twitter.com/SIv0LzWSbH
— ✍🏾 (@clearittfup) June 20, 2025
Even after Hurts put together an MVP campaign in year three and led the Eagles to the Super Bowl, the franchise quarterback remains one of the most polarizing players at the position.
Staley was happy to see Hurts overcome the narratives in 2024, putting together a second Super Bowl run and coming out on top. The pressure was on Hurts to deliver more often than not, and he ended the season by earning Super Bowl MVP honors after the Eagles took down Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs.
Staley’s advice likely went a long way for Hurts throughout his Philadelphia journey. Since the quarterback still faces a ton of question marks with all he’s accomplished, Staley will have to continue reaching out to the two-time Pro Bowler to keep him sharp in the City of Brotherly Love.
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