An OU alum secured Jalen Hurts' record-breaking contract after a 'Hail Mary' message

Former Oklahoma quarterback Jalen Hurts has become the highest-paid player in NFL history after singing a five-year, $255 million contract with the Philadelphia Eagles.

The move follows a season in which Hurts leading the Eagles to become NFC champions before losing to the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl.

The historic contract was negotiated by another Sooner, Nicole Lynn. A native of Tulsa, Lynn first connected with Hurts with a "Hail Mary" move.

Nicole Lynn became Jalen Hurts' agent after a 'Hail Mary' message

According to Sports Illustrated, Lynn sent Hurts a direct message on Instagram after he played his final game with Oklahoma.

"Hey, have you picked an agent? If not, I’d love to link.” Lynn wrote.

Describing its a "Hail Mary" Lynn said she didn't even expect Hurts to see it. But he did, and he decided to hear her pitch. She met with Hurts and his father for hours, and the two connected over being perceived over the doubts people had about them.

With a decision being weighed, a male agent subtly referenced her gender as a reason to not hire her directly in front of Lynn and Hurts, who called out the behavior and eventually hired her.

“I know the agent world in the NFL, and all sports, is very male-dominated,” he says. “But Nicole was really on top of her stuff. She was prepared. She knew what she was talking about. She was hungry. And she was determined. And I feel that determination like that never rests. Once you come across such a determined individual, that just hits me a little different.”

Nicole Lynn works for Klutch Sports Group, which also represents LeBron James

Lynn's drive has pushed her to become President of Football Operations at Klutch Sports Group, representing athletes from football to softball and more. The organization is owned by Rich Paul, a close friend and longtime agent of LeBron James.

“She has that same drive that an athlete would,” said Ken Sarnoff, a veteran agent who helped hire Lynn in 2015. “And it's almost like, sometimes athletes hit another level out of fear, fear of failure, and I think she has that.

In an 2018 article in The Oklahoman, Lynn pointed to her experience at Tulsa Washington High putting her on the path to success.

“That was probably the turning point in changing part of my trajectory,” she said. “It was rough, but I give a lot of recognition to my high school. They made sure that I went to college and took the right steps even when I didn't have parents that knew how to do that.”

Nicole Lynn married OU football player Gabe Lynn

From Tulsa to Norman, Lynn's best friends played football at OU, including her future husband Gabe Lynn. After graduating and working as a financial advisor in New York, Lynn returned to OU to obtain a Doctor of Law (J.D.) degree in pursuit of her goal of working as an agent.

Today, her accomplished resume makes her a valuable resource for athletes.

“These are the guys that recognize my worth and don't think twice about it," Lynn said in 2018. "Those are the guys I want to be with, that I want to work with.”

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Nicole Lynn: Jalen Hurts agent secured new salary after Instagram DM