Back to school?
Jalen Hurts is among the most popular figures in American sports, and for good reason. The MVP finalist finds himself just one win away from football immortality after leading the Eagles to a 31-7 victory over the 49ers in the NFC Championship game on Sunday.
At just 24, Hurts is younger than Georgia signal-caller Stetson Bennett, who just led the Bulldogs to another College Football Playoff championship. In fact, Hurts is younger than a large number of students, so much so that if he were to sneak into a college sporting event, it wouldn’t look so out of place.
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He put that theory to the test Monday, stopping by the men’s basketball game between Syracuse and Virginia, of all places.
Look at this:
Fly Orange Fly 🍊@JalenHurts 🤝 @therealboeheim pic.twitter.com/2phT1okxkX
— Syracuse Men’s Basketball (@Cuse_MBB) 31 January 2023
The Texas native doesn’t seem to have too many ties to the cool campus — not least because he didn’t actually go to school there. Still, the game recognizes the game. And Hurts seems to be something of a connoisseur of college basketball.
So why was Hurts in the Cuse game? Sports news has you covered.
Why was Jalen Hurts at a Syracuse basketball game?
“Cuse is not the brand it once was, especially compared to the star-studded teams of the early to mid-2000s. Still, it’s a program with some appeal. And while the results on the court don’t match the ambition off it, basketball certainly reigns supreme above the Carrier Dome stands.
This is not limited to the student population. In fact, Syracuse has multiple wealthy boosters, one of whom sent the Pro Bowler an invitation to attend the (other) big game.
Billionaire donor Adam Whitesman offered Hurts and teammate Brandon Graham a pair of courtside seats for the Orange’s Monday night clash with the No. 6 Cavaliers. It was an offer the duo just couldn’t pass up.
Welcome to ‘Cuse! 🍊🦅@JalenHurts @brandongraham55 pic.twitter.com/F3uDM2E3fv
— Syracuse Men’s Basketball (@Cuse_MBB) 31 January 2023
Who is Adam Weissman?
Although not a household name, Weitsman is something of a living legend in upstate New York. He is the owner and CEO of Upstate Shredding-Weitsman Recycling, a scrap processing company that reportedly makes $750 million a season.
Upstate Shredding provides power for multiple buildings, including the Carrier Dome. That business deal spawned another when Weitsman — a Long Island University graduate — began putting money into Syracuse athletics.
Now he sits pretty comfortably as the highest-ranking Orange booster, pouring millions into Syracuse’s NIL in recent years as he tries to recapture the magic of his past.
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While the jury is still out on whether Weitsman’s investment has worked, he has certainly brought some appeal to the program. That’s evidenced by the growing list of high-profile figures who have accompanied him to games, from Tom Brady to Jimmy Fallon, Giannis Antetokounmpo to Allen Iverson.
This season alone, Weitsman and the Orange hosted actor Cole Houser and rappers Fabolous and A Boogie wit da Hoodie.
He even had Bills stars Josh Allen, Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis appear at a Cuse game in December.
Syracuse appears to be getting its money’s worth from Weitsman, who hopes to rekindle the spark that made the program such a vaunted institution for most of the past four decades.
Where did Jalen Hurts go to college?
Despite his Salt City pilgrimage, Hurts is a Southern boy at heart. He was born and raised in Texas and originally attained the degree of Alabama, where he was a starter for two seasons. Hurts famously lost his starting gig to freshman Tua Tagovailoa in the 2018 national championship game. After signing on for another year as Tagovailoa’s backup, Hurts elected to transfer to Oklahoma.
He set the world on fire in Norman, finishing as a Heisman runner-up in 2019. He was then selected in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft by Philly. The rest, as they say, is history.