It's common for NFL players to spend time on the golf course during their downtime. For Jalen Hurts though, last Thursday was a bit more special.
The Make-A-Wish Foundation and the Philadelphia Eagles joined forces to host a day of mini-golf for five wish kids. Specifically, they teamed up to fulfill the kids' wishes of meeting Jalen Hurts.
With SWOOP and Eagles Cheerleaders present, the day started with Darvin, Kamden, Bentlee, Bradley, and Dominic customizing their own Eagles helmets and making one for QB1 himself.
"It's very clean," Hurts said while examining the kids' work. "I love my helmet."
After signing the helmets - and Jalen Hurts jerseys, obviously - Hurts hit the mini-golf course with the kids.
Alyssa, the mother of Kamden, glowed about the Make-A-Wish Foundation for making the group wish a reality.
"A lot of the kids here have different health issues and everything, but they don't get to do this type of stuff," Alyssa said.
"But just to see the smiles on the kids' faces, it's priceless."
Kamden and his family are from Hershey, Pennsylvania and took the train into the city to meet Hurts. Alyssa says that watching Eagles game every Sunday is a "family ritual." Dominic and his parents are also Eagles fans from the state.
"I've been an Eagles fan my whole life ... we just made sure Dominic was an Eagles fan since growing up," Dominic's mom, Bria, said. "He loves to play football. He likes the Eagles, he loves Jalen Hurts. He just wanted to hang out with him."
The Eagles family extends far beyond Pennsylvania. The three other kids traveled from across the country to meet Hurts. Darvin flew in with his family from Texas, Bradley from California, and Bentlee from Mississippi.
For Hurts, these kids wishing to spend time with him from all over the country means the world.
"The kids that look at me as an example, a sense of hope, a symbol of hope and a symbol of courage and resilience, and they carry those things on. It just pushes me forward," Hurts said.
"And that doesn't just start with the kid, that starts with the parents and the families and where people come from on their journey. So, it's just something I want to honor with the platform that I have."
While the kids and parents got to choose between many colors of golf balls, almost everyone at the event picked up the golf balls that most closely represented Eagles green. It wasn't just a normal round of mini-golf as some holes had some challenges for Hurts and the kids. The group had to wear distorting glasses on one hole, and another required them to put with plastic Hulk hands.
Putting with a plastic baseball bat proved to be the most difficult challenge. Hurts and Kamden spent the most time at this hole, with Kamden finally sinking the hole-in-one in front of Hurts.
"This is all fun with the kids. They're having fun, that's all that matters. Just here to enjoy the moment, be in the moment," Hurts said.
After mini-golf, the kids left with their helmets, jerseys, gift bags, and Hurts' children's book, "Better Than a Touchdown." Their time in Philadelphia wasn't done though. The next day, the families experienced pre-game field access for the Eagles' preseason game against the Bengals.
"These kids are going through the unimaginable," Hurts said. "And just to see their courage, their patience, and diligence, all the qualities that they have and they're not even realizing. I can't even define the level of character that they're showing. That's something that I admire, something that pushes me forward, motivates me." - Written by Caroline Connor
