On Wednesday afternoon, 10 first-grade students from KIPP Philadelphia Elementary Academy made their way to Hair Connections in North Philadelphia for a field trip.
The students were expecting a casual day, but instead they got the surprise of a lifetime.
Jalen Hurts, fresh off the release of his children's book, Better Than a Touchdown, emerged from the back of the barbershop to an eruption from the students.
That low-key field trip turned into a private book reading from Hurts himself. The quarterback flipped through the book while the students answered his questions. He got to learn each of their names as he showed them that you're not limited to one thing in your life.
"My inspiration behind this book came from just where my mind was when I was a kid," Hurts said. "It's just an act of me paying it forward because I knew what truly inspired me when I was younger, so it allowed me to keep pressing forward, keep going, and I just wanted to pay it back.
"I think everybody goes through their own path and everybody has their own road to success and where God takes them, where they're destined to be, and who they're destined to become. Challenges are inevitable. All of it is how you respond to those challenges, and I think the kids definitely grasped that today, so that was exciting, and I'm just excited to spend that part of the time with them."
The Jalen Hurts Foundation joined forces with Barbershop Books, an organization that looks to "inspire Black boys and other vulnerable children to read for fun through child-centered, culturally responsive, and community-based programming and content," according to its website.
Alvin Irby, the founder and executive director, has assisted in putting stocked bookshelves in 30 Philadelphia barbershops, reaching more than 3,500 boys a month. The organization helps kids identify as readers while also providing literacy training to barbers to help them engage with the children.
Each bookshelf is curated to have books that interest young boys, and now the display at Hair Connections has copies of Better Than a Touchdown.
"I think that's a great influence to have, especially in the inner city and in these communities," Hurts said of Barbershop Books. "I'm very thankful to be a part of that, and it's beautiful to see. That's something that I didn't have when I was coming up, and I think it's very positive, and I think it's a great influence, so I love that. I love that for the city."
"Black male reading role models, it's not every day that professional athletes get asked about reading or about their reading journey or the importance of reading in their lives," Irby added. "So when someone like a Jalen Hurts partners with us to promote reading, it's a big deal, and not just for us, but for the children who'll see that reading role model."
Each student was gifted a copy of Hurts' book, and they all got an opportunity to take pictures and chat with the quarterback in what was an experience they won't soon forget.
"That is amazing because for him to come out to our community and spend time with our kiddos means a lot and shows them that he cares, and he's not just a public figure on TV that you never see," said Stephanie White, the principal of KIPP Philadelphia Elementary Academy. "For him to share his story about encouragement and motivation, they clearly were like, 'Oh my gosh, a challenge, we can do that too!' So knowing that he had challenges earlier in life and look where he's gotten is really important to show our kiddos that they can achieve anything that they want to as well."
Hurts continues to be ingrained in the Philadelphia community, giving back to the people who have supported him on the football field. He had role models growing up and knows their influence. Now, he's on the other side.
"When I think about the Jalen Hurts Foundation, mentoring, progressing, and serving, I really enjoy doing those things and being more hands-on," he said. "When the time permits, I'm giving time like this and giving a week of celebration for this book to be able to connect and build those memories with the kids. That's something that they can relate to because, again, I'm a living testimony of that.
"I'm just giving them something that they can relate to, bringing a comfortability to literacy and reading, so we can create positive experiences for them with reading and being continued to encourage as they go on. I know kids are gonna be more prone to pick up something that they resonate with and genuinely enjoy, so that's my testimony, and I know it's the same for others."
