Jeffrey Lurie has helped turn the Philadelphia Eagles from a national laughing stock to one of the most successful teams over the last two decades. Since he bought the team in 1994, the Eagles have been to six conference championship games, accomplished two Super Bowl berths, and a Super Bowl Title in 2017. His expertise on finding the best coaching staff has been something of a marvel. Three of the five head coach’s who were hired by Lurie went on to make the playoffs their first year. The other two, Doug Pederson and Andy Reid, took the team to the Super Bowl.
Lurie clearly has an eye for talented people. And that’s something that goes beyond the football field. At the 94th Academy Awards last night, Lurie won an Oscar in the “Best Documentary Feature” for Summer of Soul as a part of the production company “Play/Action Pictures”.
This is not the first Academy Award Lurie has won either. He won another “Best Documentary Film” in 2011 for his movie Inside Job, and in 2013 for Inocente.
The documentary examines the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, which was held in Harlem and lasted for six weeks. Performers such as Stevie Wonder, Mahalia Jackson, The Chambers Brothers, were in attendance although the festival itself received little pop culture recognition. Summer of Soul grossed $2.3 million in the United States and Canada, and $1.4 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $3.7 million. It currently ranks at a 99% on Rotten Tomatoes.
His ability to bring the Philadelphia Eagles to relevance is a testament to his overall skill at eyeing talent. And with a long history of philanthropy, the Lurie family continues to win both on and off the field.
Congratulations to the entire Lurie family!
Photo by Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire
