Jalen Hurts Keeps it Real on Gun Violence
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PHILADELPHIA – Keeping it real. It’s a phrase that leaked into the vernacular not very long ago and very much applied to Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts on Friday.
Hurts kept it real right for about the first eight minutes of his 16-minute press conference following an OTA practice. He stepped onto the stage inside the media tent on the ground of the team’s training facility and didn’t take questions until he first made an opening statement.
“We have a lot of stuff going on in our world right now, a lot of unfortunate fateful things and events and deaths,” said Hurts.
“When I sit back and think about all of that - what’s happened in Buffalo, Uvalde, and Tulsa, whether it’s a grocery store, a hospital, an elementary school. That’s no place for fear.
“Fear doesn’t belong in those places. Me sitting here a big brother, a big cousin, I sit here and think about…I can’t even imagine my little cousins not coming home from school. My little sister not coming home from school, my dad not coming home from work.”
As part of the Eagles' ongoing effort to foster a safer community, the Eagles joined the Wear Orange movement on Friday by wearing orange practice shirts to commemorate survivors and those who have fallen victim to gun violence.
Hurts was clearly speaking from his heart, not forced out there to talk about the initiative by the Eagles.
“I think it’s my duty,” he said. “It’s the least that I can do is try to bring awareness to it. We all know what’s going on. We see what’s going on, but it starts with every one of us. Change is made and everybody has their unique way to make change but ultimately what are you doing to try to influence the right things to be done?
“…I think one thing that’s been on my heart is really just appreciate everything you have, why you have it, because these are tough times we’re really living in. We all get to come here, come to work, blessed for an opportunity to come to work, but outside of this workplace, there’s real things going on in the world.”
He took a few questions on the subject and then transitioned into football talk for the final eight minutes of his press conference.
It's clear, though, Hurts is more than just all about football, as athletes tend to be.
Observed every year in June, Wear Orange is a national campaign that honors the 110 lives cut short and hundreds more wounded by gun violence every year.
“I’m just a guy that wants to stop violence,” said CB Darius Slay. “I don’t know too much about the politics and the gun laws and all that stuff. I just know a lot of stuff going on with guns that should not be addressed with kids that age. I’m just trying to do what’s best for the world, and, right now, that’s not it.”
On Monday, June 6, the Philadelphia Police Department will hold a gun buyback event at Lincoln Financial Field from 2 to 6 p.m. Each person who turns in an unloaded firearm to police on-site will receive a $100 gift card funded by the Eagles and the Center for Violence Prevention.
"My opinion, I really want something to happen,” said WR A.J. Brown. “I don't know what, but too many innocent people are losing their lives daily from mass shootings, you know. My condolences go out to the lost ones who lost their lives and to be honest, I'm not into politics, but I just want to raise awareness to the situation."
Eagles participated in the national "Wear Orange" campaign on Friday to help raise awareness of gun violence
Philadelphia Eagles
Hurts has been involved in everything the Eagles are doing to help the community and beyond.
The QB participated in the Eagles Autism Challenge last month and earlier in the week he was with teammates and others at the James Rhoads Elementary School for the team’s annual Playground Build to help paint a mural around the school.
“I know Philadelphia is a tough place as is, but West Philly is a different animal,” said Hurts. “I can only imagine what those kids go through, what they go home to, so I feel like if I can make a change, if I can impact them in a positive way, donate, whatever.
"If I can make them feel…there are some kids out there they get to the point where they lose hope. There’s so much negativity out there they feel like that’s the easy route to go, but they don’t have to be like that…
“Being able to spend time with a kid means the world to me because that’s me giving him hope, that’s me giving him a sense of uplift in that he can be where I am. A sense of guidance. It’s a world full of so much hatred out there, negativity out there. When we have the opportunity to spread hope, love, encouragement and uplift those around us, I take that to heart.”
That’s keeping it real.
Ed Kracz is the publisher of SI.com’s Fan Nation Eagles Today and co-host of the Eagles Unfiltered Podcast. Check out the latest Eagles news at www.SI.com/NFL/Eagles or www.eaglesmaven.com and please follow him on Twitter: @kracze.
