Who is Houston Native & Eagles QB Jalen Hurts Pulling For in World Series?
Natives of Houston will need to have priorities in order on Thursday night. Philadelphia Eagles quarterback and potential NFL MVP candidate Jalen Hurts is no exception.
The Houston Texans are hosting the undefeated Eagles at NRG Stadium, looking for a chance to pull off a monumental upset. But simultaneously, about 1,500 miles away from Citizens Bank Park, the Philadelphia Phillies will be hosting the Houston Astros for an all-important Game 5. The Astros are coming off of a 5-0 win in Game 4 on Wednesday, which saw Houston's bullpen toss the first combined no-hitter in World Series history to the series at 2-2.
Safe to say all eyes in the sports world will be on Houston and Philadelphia Thursday night. The jumbotron at NRG might even provide the occasional in-game update on the status of the hometown Astros, giving Hurts a chance to catch a glimpse of the score.
But the decision likely isn't necessarily an easy one for a born-and-raised Houstonite like Hurts. However, he's made it clear where he stands on the matter, choosing to remain somewhat neutral during a World Series where he probably feels secretly divided.
"I’m Houston born and raised," Hurts said. "I love my city. That’s my hometown. But my home now is Philly and I love this city too. That’s how I deal with it. They're gonna go out there and play and that’s what it’s going to be."
Hurts -- who grew up playing baseball and, per NBC Sports, has admitted he could've gotten drafted had he stayed with it -- has said in the past that he supported the Astros growing up.
"I supported the Astros," he said. "I liked the Astros, I liked (Derek) Jeter. I liked Jeter a lot. I grew up watching Craig Biggio a lot."
When Hurts arrived in Philadelphia for his rookie year in 2020, he proudly sported Astros gear during a Zoom press conference but has also been seen wearing a Phillies cap on occasion.
With so many different choices amidst an internal back-and-forth, at least one thing remains clear: Hurts won't be cheering for his hometown Texans on Thursday, though he'll likely be secretly satisfied with either result once Game 5 comes to a close in Philadelphia.
The Texans and Eagles kickoff at 7:20 p.m. CT, following closely behind Game 5's opening pitch at 7:03 p.m. CT.
You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7
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