The triple threat talents — passing, running and thinking — of Philadelphia Eagles’ quarterback Jalen Hurts have catapulted him into a leading position for the 2022 NFL MVP Award. Hurts is leading the Eagles to the NFC Champion Game this weekend, and his team is currently favored to win. It seems Hurts’ hard work and dedication have paid tremendous dividends.
Hurts has developed a reputation for working long, grinding hours — the first one in the building and last one to leave. His thirst and hunger for self-improvement has been a constant theme throughout his football career. In fact, Hurts’ current NFL success is directly related to his unrelenting efforts to enhance his quarterback skills and learn from failure.
I remember when Alabama Crimson Tide Coach Nick Saban replaced Hurts with Tua Tagovailoa during halftime of the 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship Game against Georgia. Hurts didn’t quit or give up. He remained at the University of Alabama for another year to learn more about the intricate details of quarterbacking. A year later, Hurts transferred to the University of Oklahoma to absorb the creative mind of head coach and quarterback guru Lincoln Riley.
Hurts took his college failures and disappointments and created a strategy to create next level success.
After being picked 53rd in the 2nd Round of the 2020 NLF Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles, Hurts’ quarterback development continued. In March of 2021, Hurts followed in the footsteps of NFL quarterback stars such as Tom Brady and Lamar Jackson and went to 3DQB, the elite passing academy of Adam Dedeaux in Huntington Beach, Calif.
Without a doubt, Hurts has adopted Frederick Douglass’ concept on the relevance and necessity of a strong, consistent work ethic. In his lecture “Self-Made Men,” Douglass emphasized the importance of work in relation to upward mobility and economic empowerment. For Douglass, work was the key ingredient in the formula for success for anyone who desires to overcome obstacles and conquer challenges.
“We may explain success mainly by one word,” Douglass declared, “and that word is WORK! WORK!! WORK!!! WORK!!!! Not transient and fitful effort, but patient, enduring, honest, unremitting and indefatigable work, into which the whole heart is put.”
But Hurts apparently learned another lesson from Douglass: Don’t give up!
Douglass actively began working in the 1840s to abolish slavery in the United States and to have all Americans treated equally by government regardless of race or color. He constantly worked toward this goal until 1865, when slavery was abolished by the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. When that came to pass, he knew his work still wasn’t done, as the rich and powerful former slave-owning Democrat plantation owners continued doing everything they could to keep Americans divided by race to manipulate and control them.
Douglass worked for the passage of the 14th and 15th Amendments, establishing that black former slaves and their descendants are equal citizens and have a right to vote. He worked against every effort of Democrats to segregate, marginalize, and build racial hatred against black men until the day he died in 1895.
Today, those who follow in Douglass’ footsteps work against the efforts of the rich and powerful elites, who seem to want to keep dividing us by race in order to manipulate, marginalize and enslave all Americans. Thank God that we have the literary legacy of Douglass to help guide us to victory!
Jalen Hurts is not fighting battles with stakes as high as those Frederick Douglass fought. All he’s trying to do is win an NFL championship — or two, or three, or five, or whatever he can. But Hurts, like Douglass, is a splendid example to all of us. When we plan our work, work our plan, and refuse to give up, we can always make things better.
Go Jalen and Roll Tide!
To contact KCarl or request a speaking engagement, go to www.kcarlinc.com The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of 1819 News. To comment, please send an email with your name and contact information to Commentary@1819News.com.
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