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Eagles' Jalen Hurts Had Inspiring Message for Special Olympics Athlete

This was awesome.

Tim Capurso

Hurts speaks with the media.
Hurts speaks with the media. / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
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An inspiring moment occurred during Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts's session with the media from the Hilton New Orleans Riverside hotel on Tuesday. Special Olympics athlete and reporter Malcom Harris-Gowdy, who is a part of the first-ever Special Olympics Unified reporting team with FanSided, is in New Orleans to cover the big game for the fourth time.

Harris-Gowdy asked Hurts what inclusion means to him, which led to a powerful response from the Eagles signal-caller.

"It means everything man," Hurts said. "It means everything. Having an opportunity to pursue whatever it is you're passionate about and whatever it is you love so I think that's very important."

Harris-Gowdy, who competes in basketball, bowling, track and golf in Special Olympics competitions, has worked as a special correspondent for his local Port St. Lucie, Fla., CBS news station, served as a guest announcer for the St. Lucie Mets minor league affiliate and was a guest at the 2015 ESPY's.

Harris-Gowdy attended last year's Super Bowl LVIII as a representative of FanSided, attending media row ahead of the big game as a paid contributor for the first time.

"Special Olympics has given me so many great opportunities to show people what I can do," he said in a FanSided press release in February of 2024. "I'm helping show the world what true inclusion looks like. So many people say people with disabilities can't achieve their dreams. I'm here to show them that anything is possible with hard work and dedication to doing what you love."

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Tim Capurso
TIM CAPURSO

Tim Capurso is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Prior to joining SI in November 2023, he wrote for RotoBaller and ClutchPoints, where he was the lead editor for MLB, college football and NFL coverage. A lifelong Yankees and Giants fan, Capurso grew up just outside New York City and now lives near Philadelphia. When he's not writing, he enjoys reading, exercising and spending time with his family, including his three-legged cat Willow, who, unfortunately, is an Eagles fan.

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