Jalen Hurts is now the new face of “Breakfast of Champions.”
General Mills, the company behind the iconic Wheaties brand that celebrates athletes and cultural figures, is honoring Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Hurts with the coveted cover.
“Wheaties was a staple in my childhood,” he said in a statement accompanying the press release announcement of the limited-edition box. “To go from grabbing a bowl of Wheaties and following the icons on the box to now being featured myself is truly humbling and surreal.”
“Jalen is the true embodiment of a Wheaties Champion — paying forward the lessons he learned from mentors who guided his journey to uplift the next generation,” Emilie Knox, Vice President and Business Unit Director for Wheaties explained why Hurts was given this special opportunity. “That spirit of resilience and giving back is exactly why we’re so proud to feature him on the cover.”
In an interview with Good Morning America on Thursday (Sept. 4), Hurts explained why being on the Wheaties cover was so important to him.
“It wasn't even about the cereal. It was about what it represented,” Hurts said. “I can't tell you that I ever dreamed of being on a Wheaties box I looked at when I woke up in the mornings and ate cereal. It's just something that kinda came into fruition because of those icons that I followed after.”
“This is very nostalgic to me. It's very nostalgic just thinkin' about my childhood and the icons that have graced the box,” he said. “So to represent it now, it's something.”
Last NFL season, Hurts led the Eagles to the franchise's second-ever Super Bowl win. The Eagles won 40-22 against the Kansas City Chiefs after previously falling to the Patrick Mahomes-led team 38-35 in Super Bowl 57. However, Hurts says the win is “in the past, and it's something that will not help me accomplish anything in this upcoming season.”
On top of his impressive on-the-field talent, Hurts has been recognized as a cultural figure after appearing on the TIME 100 list of Most Influential People list earlier this year.
Hurts is already proving how much the team has put in work during the offseason after their first regular season 24-20 win against the Dallas Cowboys on Sept. 4. The Eagles will have a Super Bowl rematch against the Chiefs on Sept. 14 at Arrowhead Stadium at 4:25 pm ET.
The new Wheaties box featuring Hurts will hit stores in November.
