Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie walked away from the ESPN Sports Humanitarian Awards with the Stuart Scott ENSPIRE Award on Wednesday night in New York. It is not the kind of trophy that hangs in a stadium. But for Lurie, it might mean more than a Lombardi.
Lurie got the award for his work with the Eagles Autism Foundation and the Lurie Autism Institute. The two organizations have raised a combined $100 million for autism research and healthcare since 2019. That number came from the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Conor Smith, who broke down the funding during the awards coverage.
Lurie’s younger brother Peter was diagnosed with autism at a young age. That personal connection drove Lurie long before he bought the Eagles for $195 million back in 1994. He has always said he wanted the team to matter beyond the scoreboard.
“Winning was sort of unexpected,” Lurie told Smith. “We devote so much time to what we’re trying to do off the field with autism research and spend so much time trying to assure the Eagles are great. It’s a wonderful award.”
The Stuart Scott ENSPIRE Award has a strong list of past winners. Billy Bean, Steve Gleason, Dikembe Mutombo, Chris Evert, Brice Christianson and Dr. Richard Lapchick all took it home before Lurie. The award is named after the late ESPN anchor who fought cancer publicly and inspired people with his fight.
Lurie is 74 now. He has seen the Eagles win two Super Bowls under his ownership. But when he talks about impact, he does not lead with the rings. He leads with the institute and the foundation.
“We want the Eagles to be synonymous with trying to do everything possible that’s innovative with autism research and serving that community,” Lurie said. “We’re certainly getting there. It’s nice to be recognized on a national basis, and hopefully we’ll have a global impact.”
The Eagles Autism Foundation launched in 2019. The Lurie Autism Institute followed in 2025. Together they have poured money into research that might not have gotten attention otherwise. Lurie has used his platform to push for more funding and more awareness. The award gives him a bigger microphone.
Fans online reacted quickly. Some pointed out that Lurie has quietly been doing this work for years without much fanfare. Others noted that the Eagles franchise has become a model for how sports teams can address medical and social issues in their communities.
The real test will be what comes next. Lurie said he hopes the recognition helps him scale the work globally. That is a long road. But he has already moved the ball farther than most owners ever do off the field.
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