Carson Wentz is in the throes of the worst season of his NFL career, and things went from bad to worse this week when Philadelphia Eagles head coach Doug Pederson announced that Jalen Hurts will start against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.
Despite the outrage over Wentz’s play and calls for his benching from Eagles fans reaching a fever pitch in recent weeks, the embattled quarterback has at least one very special young fan who hasn’t yet jumped off his bandwagon.
Giovanni Hamilton, a well-known and beloved Eagles fan, recently recorded a message of support for the much-maligned Wentz. In an act of class and humility, Wentz responded to the 13-year-old’s words of encouragement.
Hamilton has Schwartz-Jampel syndrome, which his mother compares to a cross between muscular dystrophy and dwarfism. The young man has endured 15 surgeries since the age of 2. He has long backed Wentz, as footage from Eagles training camp in 2019 shows Hamilton moved to tears after meeting his “hero.”
Hamilton went viral earlier this season after he sent a thoughtful message to Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott following his season-ending injury. The young man was later profiled in an ESPN story over his classy gesture to a rival player.
Hamilton’s message to Wentz this week included an inspiring comment about how he’ll continue to root for the Eagles, even for his favorite quarterback’s replacement, this weekend.
“Some people were surprised about it. I’m going to be honest, I wasn’t because it’s just the person that you are,” Hamilton said of how Wentz cheered on Hurts from the sideline after being benched in last Sunday’s loss to the Packers. “And this weekend, I’m going to be cheering on Jalen, too, because number one, he’s wearing a Birds jersey and number two, it’s what you would do and I want to be like you.”
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