Winning feels different depending on who you are. For some guys, it’s about the jewelry and the cameras. For Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, a trophy is usually just a receipt for a job he’s already moved on from. If you’ve ever seen a photo of Jalen Hurts with trophy in hand—whether it’s a college championship or an NFL conference title—you’ll notice he rarely looks like he’s at a party. He looks like he’s at a business meeting that just happened to end with confetti.
That stoic nature is basically his trademark. It’s why fans in Philly love him and why defenders find him so incredibly annoying to play against. But the road to those hardware-hoisting moments wasn't a straight line. It was messy. It involved getting benched on the biggest stage in sports and then coming back to dominate the league.
The Night Everything Changed in Atlanta
January 8, 2018. If you're an Alabama fan, you remember where you were. Jalen Hurts was the starting quarterback for the Crimson Tide in the National Championship against Georgia. He’d led them there. He’d won a massive amount of games. But at halftime, the scoreboard looked grim, and Nick Saban made the gut-wrenching call to bench him for a freshman named Tua Tagovailoa.
Alabama won. Tua became a hero. Hurts? He stood on that podium after the game, and while he was technically a National Champion, it wasn't the way he’d envisioned it. You see photos of him in that moment—Jalen Hurts with trophy celebrations happening all around him—and he’s smiling. Genuinely. Most guys would have pouted or hit the transfer portal the next morning. Instead, he stayed. He worked. He eventually saved the team in the SEC Championship the following year when Tua went down.
That Time He Broke into Song with the George Halas Trophy
Fast forward to January 29, 2023. The Philadelphia Eagles had just dismantled the San Francisco 49ers 31-7 to win the NFC Championship. Lincoln Financial Field was a madhouse. This was the moment the world saw a different side of the "robot" quarterback.
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Standing on the stage, clutching the microphone while his teammates hoisted the George Halas Trophy, Hurts didn't just give a boring post-game interview. He led the entire stadium in a rendition of "Fly Eagles Fly." Honestly, he was a little off-key. But nobody cared. Seeing Jalen Hurts with trophy and a mic, singing along with a city that had once doubted he could even be a starter, was the peak of his redemption arc.
It wasn't just about the win. It was about the Bert Bell Award he’d snagged earlier that season. It was about proving that a second-round pick who "couldn't throw" was now the best player in the conference.
The 2025 Redemption: Super Bowl LIX
We have to talk about the most recent hardware. In February 2025, Hurts finally got the one that eluded him against Patrick Mahomes a few years prior. The Eagles’ 40-22 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs in New Orleans wasn't just a win; it was a statement.
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When you see the high-res images of Jalen Hurts with trophy (the Lombardi, this time), there's a specific look in his eyes. He wasn't just a participant. He was the Super Bowl MVP. He threw for two touchdowns, ran for another, and basically played a perfect game. He joined the ranks of Bart Starr and Joe Namath as the only former Alabama quarterbacks to win the big one.
Why the Hardware Matters for His Legacy
People love to argue about "dual-threat" quarterbacks. They say they don't last. They say they can't win from the pocket. Every time Hurts poses with a trophy, he’s basically killing that narrative.
- Heisman Runner-Up (2019): People forget he almost won the Heisman at Oklahoma. He finished second to Joe Burrow, which, let’s be real, isn't exactly a shameful loss considering the season Burrow had.
- Sugar Bowl MVP (2018): He shared this with Da’Ron Payne after beating Clemson. It’s a trophy that sits in his collection as a reminder of the "revenge tour" after losing the title the year before.
- All-Pro Honors: Trophies aren't always big silver cups. Sometimes they’re the First or Second-team All-Pro nods that prove you’re the elite of the elite.
He’s a collector of moments.
The "Hurts" Mentality: Trophies are Temporary
If you ask Jalen about his favorite trophy, he probably won't pick one. He’s famous for saying "the main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing." For him, the trophy is just a byproduct of the process.
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It’s kinda funny. You see these NFL stars go out and buy massive display cases for their awards. Hurts seems like the kind of guy who would keep a Super Bowl MVP trophy in a cardboard box until he has time to find a shelf. He’s just built different. His dad, Averion Hurts, coached him hard in Texas, and that "never satisfied" attitude is baked into his DNA.
Whether he's holding the SEC Championship trophy or the Lombardi, the expression is almost always the same. Focused. Ready for the next lift. Ready for the next film session.
What You Should Do Next
If you’re a fan looking to celebrate the career of the Eagles' signal-caller, there are a few things you can actually do to dive deeper into his journey beyond just looking at photos:
- Watch the 2018 SEC Championship Highlights: Specifically the fourth quarter. It’s the most "Jalen Hurts" moment in history. No trophy involved in that specific ten-minute span, just pure heart.
- Look up his Powerlifting Stats: Before he was winning football trophies, he was a regional finalist in powerlifting. It explains why he can squat 600 pounds and why he’s so hard to tackle at the goal line.
- Check out his "A1" Brand: He’s leveraged his success and his "trophy" status to build a brand that focuses on community and high-level performance. It’s a good look at the business side of a modern NFL star.
The trophies are cool, sure. But the guy holding them is what makes the story worth following. He’s changed the way we look at leadership in the locker room, and he's done it while keeping his mouth shut and his work ethic high.