Feb. 9 – A day marked down in Philadelphia sports history, as the Philadelphia Eagles won Superbowl LIX against the Kansas City Chiefs. This is the Eagles second Super Bowl victory, their first coming against the New England Patriots in 2018 where they won 41-33.
The city of Philadelphia’s support for the Eagles is evident in the millions of people that attended the Eagles parade. Beyond the football field, the Eagles set themselves apart from other teams in the league, due to their unabashed support for many causes, which makes the Philly team so easy to root for.
The Eagles have an aim to impact the Greater Philadelphia area and give back to the community. They have achieved this through developing many different programs to support those in need of it. One of these campaigns includes A Fan of Change, which is designed to highlight the dedication of community members and the players who put forth efforts to inspire change within the region. Since 2018, the Eagles have contributed more than $2.6 million in funding to social justice organizations around the area through the Eagles Social Justice Fund. For the fourth year, the donations were given to organizations whose aims are reducing gun violence in Philadelphia.
One of the Eagles’ more prominent foundations is the Eagles Autism Foundation, which raises funds for research and care programs. Their aim is to assist those who have autism and future generations by providing the necessary resources to doctors and scientists. All of the participants raised funds from the team’s signature charity event to go to the autism research and care community. In the past seven years, they have raised more than $30 million for this campaign.
The Eagles have gained a lot of attention in the past few years, not only in the world of football, but also due to their public displays of activism. In 2018, player Chris Long gained attention for stating that he would not attend the traditional championship reception at the White House with president Trump if Philadelphia were to win the Super Bowl. Furthermore, he was one of the first white players to support the anthem protests, by placing his hand on his teammate Malcolm Jenkins’ shoulder as Jenkins raised his fist in protest during the national anthem over racial injustices in America. Long has also established the Chris Long Foundation, a foundation that works endlessly to create solutions for clean water and education access, both nationally and internationally. The foundation relies on support in the world of sports and media to help education and inspire others to take action.
Malcolm Jenkins, the former safety for the Eagles who was present for their 2018 Super Bowl win, was one of the essential members of the Players Coalition, which was a group of NFL stars who met with the league’s executives to solve problems within the African American community.
More recently, another Eagle has gained big media attention not only for his success on the field, but also because of his behind-the-scenes activism. Jalen Hurts, the Eagles quarterback, was named the Super Bowl MVP, after scoring three touchdowns, passing for 222 yards, and adding 72 yards on the ground. In addition to his talent, Hurts differentiates from other players due to his management team, which is composed of all women. Hurts is represented by Nicole Lynn, his agent since 2020. From media relations to market brand client services support, Hurts has chosen women for all the positions on his team – to name a few: Chantal Romain, Shakeemah Simmons-Winter, Jenna Malphrus and Rachel Everett. Hurts’ team shows his support for the investment of women in sports – a field that is undoubtedly male-dominated. With his all-women team backing him up, Hurts is inspiring change within the world of sports.