The NFL Draft is months away, but the Eagles Draft Room was busy in late October before Philadelphia's Bye Week.
The Eagles hosted roughly 20 members from Youth Mentoring Partnership, a local organization with thousands of students that helps mentor at-risk individuals, for a day at the NovaCare Complex, which was capped by a Q&A session with Executive Vice President/General Manager Howie Roseman followed by quarterback Jalen Hurts.
In addition to the unforgettable experience, the Eagles donated $25,000 to help the organization further their goal in the Philadelphia area.
"Cultures are a really hard thing to build and an easy thing to lose. So, the fact that this organization has built a culture and maintained it, it's beyond impressive," YMP Executive Director and Founder Mark Mintzer said. "It's something to strive for. We're just so thrilled for our kids in the communities that we serve. I came in excited. I'm leaving elated."
YMP's three pillars are Goals, Grit, and Gratitude. During the Q&A sessions, which was hosted by Eagles Insider Dave Spadaro, Hurts and Roseman both spoke about what those words mean to them.
"I love the Grit because that's something that honestly has gotten me through some of my toughest battles and adversities," Hurts said. "That's big. You got to have courage, you have to remain steadfast, you got to be relentless. If it's something you're truly passionate about, you'll do anything to go get it done. Whether that's a dream, whether that's winning a game, you're always looking at how you can learn from it."
"Setting goals gives you a clear picture of where you want to go," Roseman added. "You may not get there in a straight line — everyone makes mistakes — but what matters is how you grow and the lessons you carry forward."
Hurts and Roseman have both dealt with adversity during their careers but are now at the top of their respective professions. The common message when speaking to the students was about how they must respond to what happens in life.
"This is his (Hurts') wheelhouse. Goals, Grit, Gratitude, you could easily just pull them over and say, 'Hey, this describes Jalen Hurts,'" Mintzer said. "He's clearly a guy who gives back and who internally and externally practices gratitude. Howie, in terms of a vision for the organization, he's dialed in."
The event provided many special moments for those in attendance, from pictures with the Lombardi Trophies to Hurts asking each individual person what their passion in life is. Even Eagles legend Connor Barwin, who now serves as the team's Head of Football Strategy and Development, stopped by to sign the numbers of a student wearing his jersey.
It was a special day as YMP students had an unforgettable experience with the Eagles and received influential advice from Roseman and Hurts.
"To have people in the community, role models, especially at the level of the Eagles organization sharing the same values: Goals, Grit, Gratitude, and how important that is in terms of life ... it's great to see it on the sports field. Yes, it's amazing to win a Super Bowl. But really, how does that carry over into other aspects of your life, whether it's school, work, relationships, life," Mintzer said.
"That's such an important message for our kids because our kids are dealing with so much adversity — economic, food insecurity, just having a safe place to go to school and play a sport. Kids shouldn't be dealing with that at 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 years old, but they are. So to have these messages reinforced, to have hope out there, to have the message of, 'Listen, you're going to get knocked down, but can you get back up?'" — Written by Matt Ryan
