Jalen Hurts and several Philadelphia Eagles team-mates players skipped a reception with US President Donald Trump at the White House to celebrate their Super Bowl victory.
Star quarterback Hurts, 26, and other players had “scheduling conflicts”, a White House official said.
The invitation was optional for players to attend, and less than half the team showed up on Monday.
Philadelphia beat the the Kansas City Chiefs 40-22 in New Orleans in February.
Despite Hurts’ absence, Trump praised the Super Bowl’s Most Valuable Player as a “terrific guy and terrific player”.
“[The] Eagles have turned out to be an incredible team, an incredible group,” he added.
American broadcaster NBC reported other players who did not attend included AJ Brown, DeVonta Smith, Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis and Brandon Graham.
read the full story here