‘Our boys aren’t forgotten’: How Jalyx Hunt’s Super Bowl sack — and fine — helped lift up Philly youth
Hunt helped turn a small uproar over his NFL fine into donations for the nonprofit Barbers Who Care, which was raising money for Boys' Latin students to visit college campuses.
Jalyx Hunt believes in the power of manifestation. The night before the Super Bowl, the rookie outside linebacker envisioned himself getting to Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. He dreamed about it. Eagles athletic trainer Jerome Reid told him he envisioned it happening, too, furthering Hunt’s self-belief.
Expectation turned into reality. In the second quarter, Hunt beat left tackle Joe Thuney and took down Mahomes for a sack, one of six for the Eagles’ defensive front.
“When he stepped up in the pocket, I was like, ‘Oh, yeah. It’s time,’” Hunt said.
He just didn’t envision the fine that would come with his ensuing bow-and-arrow celebration.
What Hunt considered a tribute to Eagles Hall of Fame edge rusher Trent Cole and his own last name was deemed a “violent gesture” worthy of a $5,690 fine by the league. Outraged Eagles fans on X, including It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia actor Rob McElhenney, offered to pay the fine for Hunt, a token of their appreciation for the Super Bowl-winning pass rusher.
But the 24-year-old Hunt had another cause in mind that was more worthy of their generosity. His hairstylist, Crystal Russell, had shared a post on Instagram about a fundraiser by Barbers Who Care, a nonprofit of barbers based in the Philadelphia area that supports underserved and marginalized communities. The group, founded by barber Kenny Duncan, was raising money for Boys’ Latin of Philadelphia Charter School and its upcoming out-of-state trip to visit college campuses.
The cause resonated with Hunt, who has long understood the importance of higher education. His mother, Jaaqua, is a teacher, and his father, James, is a first-generation college graduate. Roughly a decade before he played college football at Cornell and Houston Christian, Hunt made his first campus visits with his cousin, where he saw a world beyond his own hometown of Hagerstown, Md., population about 43,500.
“I could envision myself in the same seats that they’re sitting in,” Hunt said. “Young Black men trying to better themselves in life. From the same background, a lot of my family, a lot of my friends, they all come from the same socioeconomic background and trying to do things that they’re trying to do. I just see myself. I saw my cousin. I saw my brothers and everybody. So it was just something I had to look out for.”
Hunt shared the fundraiser on X on the afternoon of Feb. 16, encouraging fans to contribute to the cause in lieu of the fine. A half-hour later, McElhenney responded to the post with screenshots of his $5,690 donation, spurring other Eagles fans to donate, too.
Duncan was loading gym equipment he had purchased into his truck in the rain when he received a call from an unknown number. He let the call go to voicemail. Later, he checked his phone and saw a text from Hunt, who informed him of the social media movement to support the fundraiser.
Contributions from hundreds of Eagles fans poured in after McElhenney and Hunt helped increase the visibility of the campaign, according to Duncan. Some fans donated $40.22 in honor of the Super Bowl LIX final score. Others contributed $56.90 in reference to the fine. Duncan, who grew up three blocks away from Boys’ Latin, was overwhelmed by the support for his community.
“I was there at the Super Bowl,” Duncan said. “I got a chance to watch Jalyx in person. And the excitement that I felt from seeing that text message from him meant more to me than watching in person my team win.”
» READ MORE: For the Eagles’ Jalyx Hunt, home is where he can help others
Before Hunt’s post, the fundraiser had amassed roughly $7,000, according to Robert Parker, the high school principal of Boys’ Latin. It surpassed its $20,000 goal less than 24 hours later. By the end of the fundraiser’s three-week campaign, donations totaled $25,350.
“They stood on business,” Hunt said of Eagles fans.
Parker hadn’t expected to reach the goal, let alone surpass it. But Duncan wanted to aim high to bring more students on the trip than they have in the past. Typically, 40 boys from Boys’ Latin’s middle and high schools have been invited on college campus trips based on academic achievement. Hitting the $20,000 goal would allow Parker to double the attendance.
Now, Boys’ Latin plans to bring 80 students on its trip to visit college campuses in North Carolina and Virginia, including a number of Historically Black Colleges and Universities such as Winston-Salem State, North Carolina A&T, Hampton, and Norfolk State. The group also will visit Virginia Commonwealth and is planning to take a trip to Duke.
“I’ve never been outside of Philly that far,” said Nick Saunders, a sophomore at Boys’ Latin. “I’ve been to other states, but not too, too far. So I’m really excited. Especially the college experience, too. I’m excited to see how college is.”
Hunt’s involvement with Boys’ Latin didn’t stop with his post about the fundraiser on social media. On Wednesday, he visited the high school as part of a Barbers Who Care free haircutting event ahead of the school’s mother-son dance the following night.
The young pass rusher was on hand to present the $25,350 check from the fundraiser and speak to some of the students who will be on the trip. In his remarks to the students, Hunt emphasized the importance of higher education, specifically for young Black men whose grandparents lived through de jure segregation in the United States and weren’t afforded equal access to education.
“I know winning the Super Bowl is huge, but y’all getting educated and taking so much more through life and affecting other people is way bigger than that,” Hunt said to the group. “So if I can help y’all reach what y’all are trying to do, help y’all reach your dreams and whatnot, I would much rather people contribute to that.”
Hunt’s interest in meeting the students and learning about their stories in addition to promoting the fundraiser showed Parker that he genuinely cares about uplifting the community that has become his home.
“To have the heart for the community, to me, it means everything, because it means that you don’t forget where you come from, and to be able to give back,” Parker said. “When I see entertainers and athletes, and particularly Jalyx doing this, and he’s not from Philadelphia, but saying, ‘Hey, I still want to help these young men,’ it means the world to me, and it just means that our boys aren’t forgotten, and people see them.”
The goal of the trip is to provide the students with a chance to see the educational opportunities that exist beyond their bubble in Philadelphia. Duncan views the trip and the donations that are helping make it happen as a nudge in the right direction for the students.
“For everybody who’s ever worked out before, they will understand this one,” Duncan said. “You always need a spotter if you want to hit your personal records. We call it a PR. If you’re going for a PR, you need a spotter. You need somebody to help assist you. Not to say they’re going to do all the work, but just a small boost can help you be the best version of yourselves. I view these things as a small boost to help these young warriors be the best version of themselves.”
If those students can see those opportunities, they can strive to attain them, just like Hunt and his Super Bowl sack.
“By going on these college trips, I was able to see so much more to life,” Hunt said. “I was able to meet so many more people. If I can help somebody else see that, I would love to.”