Hayden Hurst

Coming off of a pro-bowl season, Hurst plays the tight end spot and is some of the best to do it, add that spot, today. He is not a superstar by any means, but he is a solid player who has always contributed to the teams he’s played for.

Before coming into the NFL, he played for South Carolina in his college days. There, he was named the SEC Tight End of the Year in 2017 and also was honored twice into the Consensus All-American team. What is surprising is the fact that Hayden also played baseball before settling down to play football professionally.

He was a multi-talented athlete who could play many sports, but baseball in particular was another sport he could have gone pro with. As a high schooler, he was the winning pitcher in a game played for the state championship.

In fact, Hayden was such a star in baseball that he was named an Under Armour All-American. One thing led to another and there was Hayden with an offer to play for Florida State, with everything paid of course.

Hurst was not even into football once and was actually a full-time baseball player before switching sports when he was 22 years old. Hurst is so talented that he decided to walk into South Carolina and dominate the field without really having any prior experience.

He worked out a lot, and spent a lot of time in the weight room, trying to increase his strength and overall explosiveness. Today he plays for the Carolina Panthers but was originally drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the first round of the 2018 draft.

Hayden Hurst’s Personal Information

Hayden Hurst’s Early Life

Hurst grew up in the North Side neighborhood of Jacksonville, Florida. He attended The Bolles School and played three different sports there. As previously mentioned, Hurst was an excellent pitcher in baseball, could play football (obvious), and could also hoop.

Before switching to football, which was much later, he was one of the prospects in baseball. What is surprising is that Hurst was already in the MLB (Minor League Baseball) playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates. He was chosen in the 17th round of the 2012 draft. There were also offers for him like the one that Florida State University had presented. The offer from Florida State was a full ride or in simpler words a scholarship. Instead, he turned the offer down and signed a $400,000 signing bonus with the Pirates.

He spent exactly two seasons with the Pirates and was eventually released since his production was not up to the mark.

After being released in 2014, he decided to give football another go and he walked on to the football team of South Carolina in the fall of 2015.

Hurst, despite starting his football career late, became one of the most important pieces for the Gamecocks. Winning first-team All-SEC selection in two consecutive years, 2016 and 2017, his talent was undeniable.

Hayden Hurst’s Personal Life

Hayden Hurst is a family man and spends most of his time with his girlfriend Brooke Sharp and his parents. His Instagram posts mostly display his play on the field, him lifting weights, and traveling with Sharp at times. Some of his other interests also include golf and fishing which he loves.

Apart from his football career, Hurst has also been involved in many philanthropic endeavors. He started the Hayden Hurst Family Foundation back in 2019. This program helps underprivileged children around Jacksonville, Florida. The foundation provides scholarships, and mentorship programs, to help children reach their best.

Here are some of his recent philanthropic contributions;

• Back in 2019, Hurst donated $100,000 to the Hayden Hurst Family Foundation

• In 2020, when he was with the Baltimore Ravens, Hurst donated $1 million to COVID-19 relief effort.

• In 2021, when he switched teams and was playing for the Cincinnati Bengals, he donated $500,000 to the Greater Cincinnati Foundation.

Hayden Hurst’s Family Background

Hayden Hurst’s parents are Cathy Hurst, who is his mother, and Jerry Hurst, who is his father. He also has a sister who goes by the name Kylie Hurst. Hurst’s mother, Cathy, was the one who started the Hurst Family Foundation alongside her son. His family have been very supportive of Hayden and what he wants to do with his career. According to a post via The Athletic, the family wants Hurst to remain happy with whatever he does.

Hurst was previously a drug abuser and had struggled with depression. He was constantly high and this was because of his failed career in baseball. It was reported that Hurst took Jack Daniels or Maker’s Mark with a lot of Xanax.

The Hurst family came together and told him that he had to hold no pressure of earning huge salaries and just wanted him to do what he wanted to do. This released any pressure Hurst was holding from within and it ultimately led to his recovery. Hurst is where he is because of his family’s love and support.

Hayden Hurst’s Girlfriend

Hayden Hurst is currently in a relationship with Brooke Sharpe. She is also a Florida native and is 28 years old. Sharpe studied Advertising and Business and attained a bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida in 2017.

She is currently working as the senior technical recruiter at CAI in Florida. Prior to that, she was working for CSI Companies as a healthcare IT recruiter.

The relationship timeline or the specifics are not known but Hurst recently proposed to Sharpe on April 14th, 2023 and are looking forward to spending the rest of their days together. Hurst’s first post about Sharpe was well over two years ago where he wished Sharpe a happy birthday with a very warm message.

Sharpe has been very supportive of her future husband, Hurst’s career. She attends most of his games and is also seen attending family festivities with Hurst’s family.

Hayden Hurst’s Social Media

Hayden is quite active on social media, especially Instagram as most celebrities and athletes are. He posts mostly about his workout routine, his friends, his family, and Brooke Sharpe (his fiance). Here are his official social media handles;

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cq_g1cyubPa/?img_index=1

Twitter: https://twitter.com/haydenrhurst?lang=en

Hayden Hurst’s Net Worth

Hayden Hurst’s is somewhere between $10- $15 million. He earned most of his wealth by playing football in the NFL and landing various deals and contracts. When he was first drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in 2018, he had signed a four-year $11 million deal. Since then he has switched teams twice and is currently playing for the Carolina Panthers.

His other sources of income include his endorsement deals with Nike and Gatorade.

Hurst also owns a restaurant in Jacksonville, and it is called Hurst's Fish House. Meanwhile, he also has a family foundation known as the Hurst Family Foundation. It helps underprivileged children in society, which may also generate some income.

Hayden Hurst Brand Ambassador

Hayden Hurst is a brand ambassador for many companies like Nike, Gatorade, and Oakley. He had also joined hands with the NFL to promote its 60 initiative. 60 initiative encourages children and youth to be more active and exercise for at least 60 minutes every day. They promote health and wellness in the society.

Another reason why brands may have joined hands with Hurst is because he previously went through a lot, battling depression, and not quitting on his career. Companies like Nike love an athlete who serves as an inspiration and has a story to tell. The way Hurst handled all the scrutiny and negativity is what has made him marketable.

Hayden Hurst Investments

Not much is known about Hurst’s investments. However, there are some reports suggesting that he has invested in a couple of companies and ventures. They are;

• Hurst’s Fish House: This is a restaurant that is run by his father, Jerry and is also co-owned by Hayden Hurst.

• Hurst’s Family Foundation: This foundation helps the unprivileged and the unrepresented kids from the Jacksonville society by providing them education, scholarships and mentorships.

• Athlete Network: This company particularly helps athletes connect with various businesses and brands.

Hayden Hurst’s Career Stats

Here are Hayden Hurst’s career statistics. He has had a decent career so far. It is far from spectacular but it is not bad either.

Hayden Hurst’s Achievements

So far in Hurst’s career, he has achieved a decent amount of accolades and achievements. He started playing football quite late and it is truly remarkable to see how far along he has come in his career. Here are all his achievements;

• First-team All-American (2016, 2017)

• John Mackey Award finalist (2017)

• Consensus All-SEC (2016, 2017)

• SEC Tight End of the Year (2017)

• PFWA All-Rookie Team (2018)

• Pro Bowl (2019, 2022)

There may be many more awards to come as Hurst is just 30 years of age.

Hayden Hurst’s Contract

Hurst is currently playing under a three-year contract with the Carolina Panthers of the NFL. The deal was worth $21.75 million which he signed in March of 2023. The contract also includes perks such as a $6.17 million signing bonus and $13 million in guaranteed money.

Here are his previous contracts since he got drafted in the NFL;

Hayden Hurst’s Diet

There is no significant information available with regard to the diet which Hurst follows.

Hayden Hurst’s House

There is not much information available about Hayden Hurst’s house but there are some reports which say that he owns a home in Jacksonville, Florida. The house is located somewhere in a gated community and it has its own pool and spa. Hurst reportedly purchased the house back in 2020 for $3 million. The house is approximately 5,000 square feet and contains five bedrooms and six bathrooms. It also includes a gourmet kitchen, a home theater, and a game room.

When Hurst previously played for the ATL Falcons, he had purchased a house there too. The specifics of the house are however unknown.

Hayden Hurst’s Cars

There is no significant information available with regard to the cars which Hurst owns.