Inheriting Jason Kelce’s Legacy: Cam Jurgens’ Journey to Super Bowl Glory
Taking over Jason Kelce? Yeah, no pressure at all. Cam Jurgens didn’t just have to step in for one of the best centers to ever do it—he had to do it in _Philly_, where the love runs deep, but so does the scrutiny. And oh yeah, all of this while anchoring an O-line led by Jalen Hurts, with Super Bowl expectations looming overhead. While some might crack under that kind of pressure, but Jurgens? _Hell nah_. The guy donned his No. 51 jersey and went to work—whether he felt Kelce’s ghost or was just out to build his own legacy, like stepping into _Iron Man’s suit after Tony Stark_.
_Jurgens appeared on Green Light with Chris Long_ and was asked, _”How much of a role model was he (Jason Kelce) for you, and did you feel the ghosts of Jason Kelce in the O-line meeting all season?”_ His response? First a shout-out to his role model, then feeling those high-standard vibes, and then, of course, how he went on to take his place.
Of course, Kelce built a legacy in the Eagles‘ O-line room. I mean, the guy won a Super Bowl, 7 Pro Bowl honors, and 6 First-team All-Pro. And the management asked to fill his shoes with the guy who was just in his third season with the team. _Total bonkers_. And you can just say, Jurgens felt that throughout the season.
_”The standard is so high, and it’s you either rise to the occasion and you fill that role and you join into the O-line room and you completely buy in or you kind of get chewed up and spit out and that’s kind of how we like to live and we have so much fun there.”_
But let’s be real—the guy was given a job to do, and he performed well enough to get recognition. _Geez_, he earned Pro Bowl honors in his third season while filling the shoes of a future Hall of Famer. As Jurgens pointed out himself, _”I feel like, I mean, going in there filling shoes, I never really want to try to fill somebody else’s shoes, and when you’re trying to feel like a Hall of Famer shoes, you’re gonna fail. So I mean, I’m just worried about being my best self and filling my own shoes and creating my own legacy.”_ _Pretty cool, huh?_ At this point, it’s just the beginning for Jurgens to build a legacy. And looking at this season’s Super Bowl campaign, looks like he’s pretty serious about this.
Cam Jurgens: From Successor of Kelce to Super Bowl Champ
Let’s take a trip down memory lane. The Philadelphia Eagles drafted Cam Jurgens in the second round with 51 overall pick back in the 2022 NFL draft. And it wasn’t just any pick. Nope, _Jason Kelce himself helped the team’s general manager, Howie Roseman, to pick him_. The reason? Well, the Eagles’ legend wanted Jurgens to take his place at the Center position. And the result’s pretty clear. The rookie started in all 17 regular season games and 3 postseason games while serving as Kelce’s backup.
Then March 2024 rolls around, and Kelce drops the retirement bombshell. And that, folks, was the time for Jurgens to step up and take Kelce’s place. He took the starting Center role for the Eagles and helped Jalen Hurts and his team to lift their second Super Bowl title. Despite suffering an injury this season, Jurgens returned to anchor the offensive line, contributing significantly to the Eagles’ successful campaign.
Take the NFC championship round for instance, the guy was sidelined due to an injury during the first half. But guess what? When his replacement, Landon Dickerson, attained a knee injury, Jurgens stepped out on the gridiron and helped the Eagles to secure a Super Bowl spot. And the rest is history.
_”He can do some things in the NFL right now that there’s not a lot of other centers can do, especially when it comes to his pulling and getting out on the perimeter and stuff like that.”_ That’s how Travis Schuster, Jurgens’ high school OC at Beatrice High School in Nebraska, praised the Eagles’ Center. And why wouldn’t he? After all, while everyone’s wanting Cam Jurgens to be the next Jason Kelce, he just wants to be the best player on the field.
