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Jalen Hurts, The Philadelphia Eagles quarterback earned a master’s degree in human relations from the University of Oklahoma on Friday, months after he led his team to the Super Bowl and signed a massive contract extension.
Education appears to have always been important for Hurts. Both his parents are teachers, and Hurts told “Essence” in April that he was inspired by his mother during his freshman year at Alabama after he watched her go back to school to get another degree.
“She went back to school, and she got her master’s to become a counselor,” Hurts told Essence in April. “That’s a living testimony for me.”
Hurts later earned a bachelor’s degree in communication and information sciences after only three years at Alabama before he transferred to Oklahoma in 2019.
Now, with two degrees and a Super Bowl appearance under his belt, Hurts heads into his fourth NFL season with Championship expectations from Philly to Las Vegas. The Eagles have the second-best odds to win the Super Bowl (+700), per BetMGM — right behind the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs (+650).
Before dueling against fellow Black NFL QB Patrick Mahomes in February’s Super Bowl, Hurts said, “I think it’s something that’s worthy of being noted, and it is history. It’s come a long way. I think it’s only been seven African-American quarterbacks to play in the Super Bowl, so to be the first for something is pretty cool.”
Jalen Hurts has the Black women in his life at the forefront
The Philadelphia Eagles and Hurts reportedly reached an agreement on a 5-year/$255 million contract extension, with $179 million guaranteed in April, negotiated by Nicole Lynn.
Today, Lynn, who also serves as the president of football at large for Rich Paul’s Klutch Sports Group, understands her impact on her clients and other Black women in sports.
“What I do as an agent is already unique because I am a Black woman. I’m a woman,” Lynn shared with Essence magazine, which features Hurts as the cover star of its 2023 Men’s Issue. “I’m in the 1% of all 900 certified agents. But even for a White male, repping quarterbacks is upper-echelon.”
Research has uncovered 65.1% of sports agents in the industry are White. Strikingly, women constitute only 23% of all NFL agents in the United States, with a mere 7.5% being Black agents of any gender.
FanBuzz reports Hurts and his longtime girlfriend met in 2016. Hurts recently confirmed his relationship with girlfriend Bryonna “Bry” Burrows, saying: “I’m not married or anything like that. But I am spoken for.”
Hurts’ game has also been speaking for itself since arriving in the league, the 24-year-old has progressively excelled at mastering the QB position and keeping it culture at the same time.
Inspired by his mother to further his education, Hurts has long surrounded himself with Black women who continue to help him thrive on and off the gridiron.