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Malcolm Jenkins, a Super Bowl champion, withdrew the NFL player who was among the Philadelphia Eagles who refused to celebrate their win in the White House with President Donald Trump in 2018, Jalen praised his decision to skip the ceremony.
Hurts decided to waive the championship celebration in Washington about what was intended to be “planning conflicts.” The silence of the question of attending the ceremony, while at the time 100 gala last week spoke more words than if he said something directly.
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Honoree Jalen Hurts participates in Time100 Gala and celebrates the 100 most influential people in the world at Frederick P. Rose Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center on Thursday, April 24, 2025 in New York. (Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
Jenkins wrote in a Substack article that if Hurts can navigate the control that may make the decision, he will lift himself to something more than just an NFL player.
“He solidifies himself as a selfless leader, willing to risk comfort to honor his values,” Jenkins wrote. “He strengthens his integrity and cultural capital in a way that few athletes ever achieve. He shows the next generation what it seems to be on the principle – not just playing for the applause. He joins a tradition of athletes who used their top to push conversations forward, not to be away from them.”
Jenkins made it clear that “leadership is never optional” and skipping the White House will present his own set of problems, from public and media surveys to potential dressing rooms.
Philadelphia Eagles Strong Safety Malcolm Jenkins warms up before an NFL football match against New Orleans Saints in New Orleans on November 18, 2018. (AP Photo/Butch Dill, File)
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“Leadership today is not just about leading a team,” Jenkins added. “It’s about having a conversation. And Jalen hurts – whether he realizes it or not – right into that conversation at the highest level.”
The former defensive back also touched Saquon Barkley’s decision to spend the day with Trump before the White House.
President Donald Trump, Left, talks to Philadelphia Eagles footballer Saquon Barkley before Boarding Air Force One in Morristown Municipal Airport on Sunday 27 April 2025 in Morristown, New Jersey. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
“That was the least to say to say, but I understand that respect works both ways,” Jenkins wrote. “Every man has to go his own way. But neutrality is not neutrality in times like these. And even silence becomes a statement.”
