Eagles' Jalen Hurts named Super Bowl LIX MVP with historic performance

Philadelphia's defense took a stranglehold on Kansas City in a slightly sluggish first half. Hurts and the passing offense didn't really take off until later.

Hurts threw a 46-yard bomb to wide receiver DeVonta Smith near the end of the third quarter to put the game out of reach, a game-defining highlight that solidified his MVP credentials.

The victory and individual honor cap off an up-and-down personal journey for Hurts, who saw himself benched during Alabama's 2018 national championship comeback and then forced to transfer to Oklahoma.

"I've just been able to use every experience and learn from it, the good the bad, all of it, using it as fuel," Hurts said.

He made significant history on Sunday, too. He was already the first quarterback since Buffalo's Jim Kelly in 1990 to make it back to the Super Bowl after losing in his debut, but he's also now the first to win it in his second attempt since Miami's Bob Griese in 1972.

It's an incredible story for a player many doubted, finally rising to the peak of professional football.