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          NFL Nation

          Eagles' Carson Wentz to superfan Giovanni Hamilton: 'I'll keep pushing through'

          • Tim McManus, ESPN Staff WriterDec 9, 2020, 05:10 PM
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              Tim McManus covers the Philadelphia Eagles for ESPN. He joined ESPN in 2016 after covering the Eagles for Philadelphia Magazine's Birds 24/7, a site he helped create, since 2010. You can follow him on Twitter @Tim_McManus.
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          PHILADELPHIA -- The last time Philadelphia Eagles superfan Giovanni Hamilton went viral, it was for wishing rival Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott well following his season-ending injury in October.

          This time, it was for his words of encouragement to his idol, Carson Wentz, who has been replaced as the starting quarterback for Sunday's game against the New Orleans Saints (4:25 p.m. ET, Fox) in favor of rookie Jalen Hurts.

          Wentz responded to Hamilton's message on Twitter Wednesday morning -- his first public comments since Eagles coach Doug Pederson made the switch at quarterback -- by writing, "You're the man Giovanni. I appreciate and look up to you! Never change man! And don't worry -- God's got a plan for me and I'll keep pushing through this like I always do -- trusting HIM and giving it everything I got!"

          Hamilton, 13, has a rare condition called Schwartz-Jampel syndrome, which his mother, Shannon, likened to a combination of muscular dystrophy and dwarfism, resulting in 15 surgeries since the age of 2.

          Hamilton had an emotional encounter with Wentz at training camp last summer, calling Wentz "his hero" through tears.

          The teenager has since become a well-known figure among Eagles Nation and has had one big name after another on his podcast, including Eagles tight end Zach Ertz, and former Eagles players Chris Long and Torrey Smith. He lauded Wentz for cheering from the sideline when Hurts threw his first touchdown pass Sunday against the Green Bay Packers.

          "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. "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."