HOUSTON — Jalen Hurts will lead the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl against the Kansas City Chiefs Sunday night.
And while he’s on the biggest stage in football, we can say we knew him before he was the face of an NFL franchise. That’s because Hurts, who played his high school football at Channelview, was once our KHOU 11 "Athlete of the Week."
In 2015, sports reporter Daniel Gotera went to Channelview to do the story with the Super Bowl quarterback.
Even in 2015, Hurts knew what he could do.
“I’ve never doubted myself. I’m confident, not cocky," he said back then. "I believe in my craft."
You can watch that story here or in the video window above.
After Channelview, Hurts went on to play at Alabama before transferring to Oklahoma.
Jalne Hurts mother talks about his determination on and off the field
KHOU 11’s Matt Musil learned a little more about the hometown hero last week when he sat down with Pamela Hurts, Jalen’s mother. You can watch that full interview below.
In that interview, we got a little insight into Jalen's determination and why we should never count him out.
"Very driven. Very focused," Pamela Hurts said. "Very detail-oriented. Not easily rattled. Nothing can get him upset. Very methodical. He’s very analytical and he gets a lot of that from dad. But he always has to have a plan and a goal in mind, and a plan in place to achieve those goals."
Jalen Hurts' father on his son in the NFL
And as far as his dad, yeah, we talked to him, too, earlier in the season when the Eagles were in Houston to play the Texans.
Averion Hurts, who coaches at Channelview, spoke to Daniel Gotera earlier this season.
"I never bet against Jalen because I understand Jalen. I don't bet against him. When he sets his mind to do something, he pretty much gets it done. He doesn't let anything deter him," Averion Hurts said.
You can watch that full interview below:
Texas ties to the Super Bowl
Hurts is one of several players with Texas roots performing on the big stage. The man quarterbacking the Chiefs is also from Texas. Patrick Mahomes is from the Tyler area. Check out a list of more Texas ties in the Super Bowl.