Some athletes who come to Philadelphia have found it to be a difficult transition, whereas others have fit like a glove from day one.
A.J. Brown is in the latter category. He has immersed himself into the community, stood up for his teammates, and even bought jerseys for some fans at a local sports shop.
His dedication to the sport he loves is only surpassed by the joy and energy he brings to the team day in and out. And he has proven that since the day he arrived.
“I want them to know I’m a hard worker, I’m a team guy, not a me guy”
His teammates, coaches, and fans have acknowledged his dedication and embraced him in a short time, as few athletes have been before him.
But, like most everyone else, he has had his share of challenges in life.
AJ is as outspoken and sincere in sharing the hardships as he is relishing in his triumphs.
His journey to becoming a Philadelphia Eagle was sometimes challenging, but he has persevered and been willing to share his struggle in the hopes of helping others.
Brotherly love has always been at his core.
Path to the NFL:
Brown attended Starkville High School in Mississippi, where he played both baseball and football. His work ethic was legendary starting at a very young age, and he credits his family with the way he was raised for developing those disciplines.
“From my parents, both parents, my mom, and my dad. They work extremely hard”
The hard work and relentless attention to detail paid off. Playing football as a senior at Starkville High, AJ had 83 receptions for 1371 yards and 13 touchdowns. He’d also lead his team to a state championship. His play earned him first-team all-state by the USA today.
As I mentioned earlier, he also played baseball. And played it well.
“I was a really good hitter, I had a good bat.”
The Padres agreed. During the 2016 MLB draft, AJ was drafted by San Diego to play as an outfielder. He signed with the Padres which excluded him from playing college baseball. But he was still eligible to play football at the collegiate level.
AJ stated that choosing football came down to a pretty simple reason.
“Scoring touchdowns man, you know. I’d rather score a TD than hit an HR”
And he hasn’t stopped scoring since.
Ole Miss and Tennessee:
Mississippi State fans bemoaned AJ’s choice of playing at Ole Miss, which is 2 hours away, rather than playing for his hometown college, but AJ had his reasons.
“It was kinda too close (to home) and the coach didn’t really recruit me,” Brown said. “He just expected I was going to come.”
While Mississippi St. may have expected him to sign, other programs were not as confident and tried to buy his services.
“The night before signing day, I got a knock on the door, bag full of money in the front. Swear to God. They kinda tried to leave and we like, ‘Nah, we good, bro. We don’t need this.’ I swear.”
Ole Miss and their fans were happy he chose them.
Brown wasted little time showing what he could do. As a freshman, AJ opened a lot of eyes playing in 11 games and scoring two touchdowns. Years two and three brought even more production.
He ended his collegiate career after his junior year with 189 receptions for 2984 yards and 19 TDS.
His resume’ and reputation paved the way for him to be a highly coveted receiver for NFL teams in need when Brown declared for the draft.
Brown was selected by the Tennessee Titans in the second round of the 2019 draft with the 51st overall pick.
AJ immediately established himself as the Titan’s top receiving playmaker. His statistics during his first three seasons in the NFL have mirrored that of his college stats, but with even more touchdowns.
Brown reeled in 185 receptions for 2995 yards (an impressive 16.2 yards per catch average) and 24 touchdowns.
Despite being very productive and a fan favorite in Tennessee, his time there was coming to an end due to an impasse in contract negotiations.
Brown stated“I just wanted my work to be appreciated”
Once it became known in league circles that AJ would be available via trade, Eagles GM Howie Roseman was salivating for a chance to acquire him.
He would eventually get his chance.
But first, Brown had to heal from a personal challenge that few knew he faced.
Mental Health:
From an outsider looking in, things seemed to be going great. AJ Brown is one of the best young receivers in the game, making money, and well-liked, but inside AJ Brown was missing something and hurting. The pain was almost becoming more than he could bear. In November of 2020, Brown stated that he thought about taking his own life.
“I had no more hope for better days and everything was just going wrong for me,”
On November 12, 2021, AJ went public regarding his thoughts of taking his own life in a very open Tik Tok post that he shared with the world. It was on the first anniversary of his
“I just wanted to put out a positive message that I’m still here. I’m still growing. I’m still learning. I’m blessed. I’ve got a lot of things to be grateful for and someone was there for me. So reach out to your loved ones and ask them how they’re doing and listen to them, you know, because it’s important.”
It took courage and bravery to come out but AJ knew the importance of sharing.
“Be there for someone because someone was there for me. God told him all the right things to say to me that night. Take depression seriously. Take how you feel and how you handle situations seriously. Life happens to all of us but you’re not too tough to talk to someone and get things off your chest. Life is a beautiful thing and everyone should be able to live it to the fullest.”
A year after going public with his struggle, AJ looks back with pride and optimism.
“I felt like I made an impact, in helping people out. So many people reached out and that made me feel really proud of myself for speaking up. I am in a great place now. I have someone I speak to every other week. to keep it fresh, and it’s important.”
He was also ready to move forward with football, and to a new city.
Philadelphia Eagles:
Draft night 2022, Howie and the Eagles finally landed their guy.
The Eagles traded one of their 2022 first-round picks (number 18)and one of their two third-round picks (number 101) to the Tennessee Titans during the 2022 NFL draft, for A.J. Brown. AJ then immediately signed an extension with the Eagles that added 4 years 100 million dollars with 57 million guaranteed.
The Eagle’s general manager, Howie Roseman, described the team’s desire to acquire Brown.
“Was it a priority to get a wide receiver? It was a priority to get the right players. This for us was the right player, this was the right fit. I can’t tell you we were going to definitely draft a receiver in the first round. We had some other players that we were looking at here. I think we felt like this particular player, this particular person, the fit was really good for what we had and what we were looking for.”
Brown shares in the excitement of his role this season with the Birds.
“You know what, after I got traded I placed myself on the Eagles on Madden, and I started playing as myself and I just started visualizing, and you know I’m really excited.”
He isn’t just visualizing he also exudes the legendary work ethic I mentioned earlier that he learned from his parents as a child.
“The preparation before the season pushing myself past exhaustion, each offseason, training like a pro, thinking like a pro, just being a student”
The hard work has paid off through the first 9 games of the season. A.J. has 44 receptions for 725 yards and 6 touchdowns. And the chemistry with Jalen Hurts has proven to be as strong on the field as off.
“I get to play with my best friend. It’s going to be real special”
So far, it’s been really special. It’s almost been perfect, and he and the team know there is a lot of work, fun, and football left if they want to be the team that hoists a Lombardi trophy in February.
And as much as he wants the team and fans to celebrate with a parade on Broad st, he also wants to bring awareness to mental health.
“I just want to encourage everyone to protect your mental, talk to someone, get things off your chest, do things that make you happy. It’s so important. I didn’t think depression was real until it happened to me, but now I know it’s really real. Guys, just talk to someone, get things off your chest, and take depression seriously.”
A.J. is unapologetically staying true to who he is, and he wants the best for himself and YOU!
“You need to look out for one another,” Brown said. “I know we play this beautiful game, but you know, life is beautiful.”
Indeed it is.
If you or someone you know is in immediate crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1–800–273–8255 for 24/7 access to a trained counselor. You can also contact the Crisis Text Line by texting “HOME” to 741741. For more information about ongoing support and mental health resources, contact HelpLine at the National Alliance on Mental Illness by calling 1–800–950-NAMI (6264) or emailing info@nami.org.