Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts’ intense, serious demeanor is so striking that it can be intimidating to be in the same room with him, according to a prominent NFL commentator.
In an interview with Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning, NBC Sunday Night Football color commentator and former wide receiver Cris Collinsworth began discussing Hurts and his journey from Alabama to the Eagles. During their discussion, Collinsworth brought up what it was like speaking with Hurts.
“Have you ever met a more intense, serious human being than Jalen?” Collinsworth asked. “It’s almost intimidating when you’re in the room.”
Manning said he liked talking football with Hurts but may not share any of his lighthearted comedy with him.
“I haven’t had a face-to-face with him in a while,” Manning said. “We do a lot of texting and a lot of voice memos, but I imagine he’s reading those with a very straight, serious face. I don’t crack any jokes with him and I don’t test my material on him because I’d imagine I would hear crickets.”
Manning praised Hurts for his mental toughness, dating back to when he was benched at Alabama in favor of Tua Tagovailoa through the ebb and flow of an NFL season. He added that he and Hurts have been communicating about elements of the offense the Eagles are running, with Manning stating he is very familiar with certain plays the Eagles have run.
“I like the way he goes about it,” Manning said. “He calls me a lot and asks me lots of questions. They actually run a lot of plays that we used to run from (Nick) Sirianni to Frank Reich to Tom Moore, sort of that chain. He calls me with very specific questions about certain plays.”
“He’s a student of the game,” Manning continued. “He squats 600 pounds, he can run over guys, and he can throw it a mile. But his appreciation of the cerebral part of the game is what’s impressive to me and how he’s taking his game to the next level, and I think the sky’s the limit for this guy.”
Hurts and the Mannings have a long history together, dating back to when Hurts was a guest at the Manning Passing Academy. Archie Manning, the patriarch of the Manning family who spent 11 seasons with the New Orleans Saints, previously spoke to NJ Advance Media about Hurts’ relationship with the family.
“Jalen was kind of a special kid to me,” Manning told NJ Advance Media. “99 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.”
Archie 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 at Oklahoma.
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Chris Franklin may be reached at cfranklin@njadvancemedia.com.
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