Glendale (United States) (AFP) - Jalen Hurts delivered a record-breaking quarterback performance in Sunday's Super Bowl but was left empty-handed after the 38-35 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
No quarterback has ever rushed for three touchdowns in a Super Bowl or produced more than his 66 yards on the ground but in doing so Philadelphia signal-caller Hurts showed the speed and strength that makes him a genuine dual-threat.
Those figures came alongside the 304 yards he threw and the touchdown pass he guided to A.J.Brown but they meant very little to the 24-year-old who sat quietly in reflection after the game.
"It's tough.We work really hard to have this opportunity and to come up short is tough.There's always a lot to learn from, the opportunity to reflect on things we didn't do or could have done, but I think there's a lot to learn from it," he said.
The only blemish on Hurts' performance was a second quarter fumble which was run home by Nick Bolton for the Chiefs to level the game at 14-14.
That was a moment which Hurts recovered from but which he conceded cost his team dearly.
"I always hold myself to a very high standard in everything that I do.Obviously, I try and control the things that I can, not just the ball every play, so I just try and protect it.
"But, it hurt us.You never know what play it will be, but it hurt us.You look back and reflect on some of the things that you could have done more, you could have tried and done something to change the outcome of the game.That’s the way it works," he said.
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was full of appreciation for his opposite numbers performance and said it should put an end to questions over Hurts' ability.
"If there were any doubters left, there shouldn't be now," Mahomes said.
"The way he stepped up on this stage, ran and threw the ball and did whatever his team needed to win, that was a special performance.I don't want it to get lost in the loss that they have," he said
"Even when we took the momentum in that game and went up eight points in the fourth quarter, for him to respond and move his team right down the football field and run it in himself in the two point conversion -- it was a special performance by him," he said.
Hurts was in no mood for reflecting on how he is viewed by others however.
"I don't do this to be loved.I don't do this to be hated.I don't do this to seek anyone else's approval.I do it for the guys in the locker room. I do it for all the time that we’ve invested into this.I do it for the love and thrill of growing something and putting the work in," he said.
"It is a tough feeling to come up short.It's a very tough feeling, but I know the direction is to rise and that will be the mentality going forward,” he said.
