Jalen Hurts has been electric on the field in his first year as the starting quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles. Thanks to his on-field success, Hurts is looking to give back to Historically Black Colleges and Universities each week this NFL season.
Hurts teamed up with FedEx to represent the next generation of NFL quarterbacks, which put up numbers in the air and on the ground. Hurts is at the forefront of these dual-threat quarterbacks, throwing for 1,167 yards and rushing for 226 yards with eight total touchdowns (seven passing, one rushing) through four weeks. Hurts is third in the NFL in total offense this season, trailing only Matthew Stafford and Tom Brady. He has 2,462 yards of total offense through his first eight starts, trailing only Cam Newton (2,603) and Patrick Mahomes (2,591) in NFL history.
"I'm really excited to team up with them about this launch," Hurts said to CBS Sports. "They have a lot of great things going on and the HBCU community really stood out to me because I'm big on service. I have a program going on that makes a donation toward the quarterbacks and running backs that win the award at the collegiate level that goes toward the HBCUs. That money goes toward the scholarships as well."
The donations will support needs-based scholarships to deserving students, $2,000 for the winning quarterback and $2,000 for the winning running back for a total of $4,000. FedEx will work directly with the NFLPA to decide which schools are awarded weekly, while Hurts plays his role as an ambassador on the field.
"I'm just trying to get everybody excited," Hurts said. "Obviously in this day and age you have quarterbacks that move on the ground and through the air. I'm just trying to encourage the fans to vote. The NFL is a fan-based operation and I want to give back to them."
Fans can vote for the NFL FedEx Air and Ground players of the week every Monday through Wednesday. The three nominees will be announced early in the week, a list Hurts will be striving for. If Hurts is a nominee, more Eagles fans will vote.
"It's a very passionate fanbase and they want to win -- so they'll want me to win," Hurts said with a smile. "That's what they care about in Philly!"