Jeffrey Lurie delivered the commencement address at his alma mater Clark University on Sunday, touching on, among other things, his team's head coach, Doug Pederson and his role in turning the Eagles into a Super Bowl contender.
Lurie said that even with the emergence of big data and artificial intelligence, the “qualities that make us uniquely human are more essential than ever.”
He noted that the Eagles rely on analytics “as much as any professional sports team,” but he cited the Eagles’ 2016 decision to hire Pederson as an example of acknowledging qualities that cannot be measured.
“That kind of leadership and the success it generates isn’t about sports,” Lurie said. “It’s about trust. To be sure, healthy competition can make us all perform better as individuals as we strive to improve. But when it comes to solving problems, study after study shows that the most effective organizations aren’t built on individual genius, but on diverse groups who trust and respect one another.”
Pederson has certainly gotten the best out of his players, as the team has continued to win the past two seasons despite the losses of players such as Carson Wentz, Jason Peters, Darren Sproles and Jordan Hicks to injury.
With Foles gone now, after signing a big contract with Jacksonville, the team's depth will be tested even more this season. And the health of its star players will become of even greater importance.
“Emotional intelligence” as Lurie has called it has gotten the Eagles this far, and they've found a team-building formula that works for them.
They think it will continue to pay dividends this coming season.
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