THE TRUTH HURTS

They told Jalen he wasn’t good enough but the Eagles quarterback is on brink of glory

JALEN HURTS could be forgiven if he had quit on his Super Bowl dream after he was told so many times that he was not good enough.

But as the 24-year-old stands 60 minutes from the NFL mountain top, he would be justified in taking pot shots at his critics. Tomorrow night, the Philadelphia Eagles quarterback will attempt to win the club’s second Super Bowl when they take on the Kansas City Chiefs, but he craves the approval of his peers more than the grovelling of his critics. “Everything I want to do is just to quantify the work I put in,” said Hurts, the kid from Houston whose first two seasons as a pro gave no indication of an elite career about to blossom.

“I don’t really like to look at the results, just the process of getting better. You can look back and say there are so many things that can motivate me and drive me to be the best.

“But I had a purpose before everyone had an opinion. It’s not about anybody else, it’s about going out and doing it. That’s what you set out to do.

“I’ve always been my biggest critic. As the success has come, it will continue to stay that way.

“I also hold the respect of my peers, my coaches, my family, my dad, my brother, coach Sirianni, guys I play with. In the end, those are the guys I go out and lay it all on the line for.”

And now he is here, he has a chance to join the likes of Tom Brady, Joe Montana, Troy Aikman, John Elway and Aaron Rodgers in that small club of quarterbacks to have conquered the NFL.

“It would be an honour,” said Hurts. “It would be awesome. That’s what we work for. Any individual that puts on a uniform and has an opportunity to play this game, puts so much work into it – everybody wants to be the best. There’s only a select few who take those steps, and take advantage of these opportunities.”

His opposite number tomorrow, Patrick Mahomes, has one Super Bowl win under his belt and at 27 is keen for more.

But he knows he faces a stern test, having watched Hurts’ development, and thinks that for all his attributes, one stands out.

Mahomes said: “The biggest one was leadership. The way he was able to step into that locker room and take over and be that leader.

“It says a lot for a young guy to come into a locker room with a lot of veterans and become that unquestioned leader. He can do so much with throwing and running, but it’s the leadership that has got them to this point.”

Mahomes has been in the NFL only six seasons but this will be his third Super Bowl appearance in four years.

“To be able to play in this game is truly special,” he said. “You appreciate it every time and I’m excited.”