PHILADELPHIA – Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts looked down at his iPhone, which had been going off a lot after the Eagles defeated the Denver Broncos last Sunday.
After accounting for 233 of the Eagles’ 386 offensive yards, Hurts was relaxing, scrolling through messages from family and friends. His support system stood by him when he struggled early and rumors popped up about the Eagles possibly replacing him next season. Heck, the rumors had even dogged him during his success over the past three games.
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Hurts’ scrolling stopped abruptly when he recognized a message from “Mr. Archie,” who congratulated him on the dominating win that included a pair of touchdown passes. Archie Manning, the patriarch of the famous quarterback family, was checking in again. Hurts texted back a thank-you.
It’s not uncommon for Hurts to hear from a member of the Manning family. With Peyton occasionally sending videos and Archie firing off text messages, Hurts has developed a unique relationship with the family that goes back to his time at the Manning Passing Academy.
“I’ve always had a good relationship with the Mannings, including (the third son, Cooper), Mr. Archie, Eli, and Peyton since the camp I went to when I was going into my sophomore year,” Hurts said. “We just maintained a relationship. There are little things that I can learn from and pick their brain. I value that and the relationship I have with the Mannings.”
At the Louisiana camp in 2017, Hurts was one of 42 college quarterbacks who acted as camp counselors for the roughly 1,200 younger passers who hoped they would reach the NFL someday. When Archie Manning first met Hurts, he said he immediately saw something different.
“Jalen was kind of a special kid to me,” Manning told NJ Advance Media. “Ninety-nine percent of the kids there are accountable and on time. They work well with the kids that go, get along with each other and have fun. That’s kind of the way it works. Jalen was no exception, but there was something really neat about him. He’s got such a good personality, and everybody liked him.”
Manning added that Cooper, whom he describes as the “camp clown,” joked around with Hurts. The Mannings and Hurts enjoyed each other’s company so much that Hurts was invited back and would have been a rare three-time invitee had it not been for Hurts’ schedule in Oklahoma.
Archie Manning said he has followed Hurts’ career, watching him finish as a Heisman Trophy runner-up and observing that Hurts handled himself well after being replaced at Alabama in favor of Tua Tagovailoa. Manning said Hurts’ ability to move on with class — and then have success at Oklahoma — showed his character.
“He’s got the right makeup,” Manning said. “It tests your feelings a little bit, but it also tests your character. Coach (Nick) Saban doesn’t bullshit anybody. When Nick was talking about how special Jalen was in the way he handled the situation, you could tell that he was real and sincere. "
“It all kind of comes back to his character and his makeup. He is a really good guy, and I think the Eagles are fortunate to have him.”
Hurts took away a lot from their football relationship. When Hurts needs advice on playing quarterback, he sometimes contacts Manning. One one, especially, has stuck with Hurts.
“He is really detail-oriented,” Hurts said. “We talk about doing walk-throughs. He’s a guy that everything was full speed until the snap, but he was going through checks. Even the amount of detail he has in the offseason when he’s with his receivers, he had scripted plays out there, and he had a special routine. I admired that, and I hope to continue to carry that on.”
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Chris Franklin may be reached at cfranklin@njadvancemedia.com.
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