HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — High school football fans fortunate enough to see Jalen Hurts play at Channelview High School will never forget it.

Hurts ran away from opposing defenders and threw with precision to his teammates.

Nearly ten years later, he did the same thing to Kansas City’s defense in Super Bowl LIX.

In Philadelphia, Hurts is famous for saying, “I had a purpose before anyone had an opinion.”

That purpose led Hurts to MVP honors in the Eagles’ dominant 40-22 win over the Chiefs.

Long before he starred in the biggest game of his career to date, Hurts faced doubters every step of the way.

After leading Alabama to a 13-1 record as a freshman starter, Hurts was benched in the second half of the National Championship Game as a sophomore.

After deciding to transfer to Oklahoma, many dismissed Hurts as an NFL quarterback.

Today, he’s the leader of the Super Bowl champions after accounting for three touchdowns and putting an end to the Chiefs’ hopes of a third straight title.

“When it’s all said and done for me I won’t measure my success off of any numbers or statistics. I measure it off of wins and championships,” Hurts said Monday at the press conference for the Super Bowl MVP.

If Hurts won’t talk about the numbers, everyone else will: 17 for 22 passing, 221 yards and two touchdowns Sunday.

He added 72 yards rushing, a Super Bowl record for a quarterback, and a touchdown.

“I’ve been able to transform, mentally transform, into this place of just trying to do whatever it takes to win and play my role in that,” Hurts said.

Hurts was asked to reflect on all that he’s overcome on the way to the NFL’s ultimate achievement.

“When you host those trophies, it’s more so about the journey than it is about the results,” he said.

Hurts is the first Houston area player to win Super Bowl MVP honors.

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