A.J. Brown’s sixth season within the NFL was doubtless his most memorable. The All-Professional broad receiver delivered a 3rd consecutive 1,000-yard season and was a key a part of the Philadelphia Eagles’ run to a Tremendous Bowl title.
Earlier than making the leap to the NFL, Brown completed with just below 3,000 receiving yards with the Ole Miss Rebels throughout his time as a school soccer star.Â
Whereas Brown has turn out to be probably the greatest gamers in his sport, there was a time when he contemplated a unique path.
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Philadelphia Eagles broad receiver A.J. Brown talks to the media Might 2, 2020, on the NovaCare Advanced in Philadelphia. (Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire through Getty Pictures)
The three-time Professional Bowler excelled at soccer and baseball at Starkville Excessive in Mississippi. He additionally performed within the 2015 Underneath Armour Excessive College All-America Baseball Sport.Â
Brown admitted he was alarmed by the hard-throwing talents of pitchers competing in that sport, which led to his determination to pursue soccer.Â
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“I’ll let you know after I made the choice to play soccer. I’m in proper area. I’m within the All-America sport in Chicago. The primary was like 97 (mph) — 97 off the rip? I’m normally dealing with like 85,” Brown defined throughout a latest look on the “Million Dollaz Value of Sport” podcast.
Philadelphia Eagles broad receiver A.J. Brown reacts after a landing through the first half towards the Pittsburgh Steelers Dec. 15, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photograph/Matt Slocum)
“We nonetheless in highschool, although. So, these are all highschool gamers, and these guys are most likely gonna go first spherical. I see him throwing an off-speed pitch, and it’s like a 90-mph breaking ball. I’m gonna see if I can go over right here and hit this.”
Brown did draw curiosity from MLB groups, and the San Diego Padres drafted him in one of many later rounds in 2016. Brown, nevertheless, elected to attend school in his native Mississippi and take the soccer route. Brown earned first-team All-SEC honors twice throughout his standout profession at Ole Miss.
Philadelphia Eagles broad receiver A.J. Brown throughout warmups towards the Dallas Cowboys at Lincoln Monetary Subject in Philadelphia Dec. 29, 2024. (Eric Hartline/Imagn Pictures)
Earlier this month, Padres space scout Stephen Moritz recalled scouting Brown a decade in the past and seeing his elite athleticism.
“You are by no means sure,” Moritz instructed MLB.com. “As scouts, you are flawed extra typically than you are proper. However I used to be as sure as I may very well be [that] he was going to be a very good outfielder. He was going to be nice within the outfield. There was an excessive amount of athleticism. There was pure skill. You add all his instruments collectively, that was the one factor I used to be fairly assured in. This dude goes to be a very good outfielder within the massive leagues.”
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In 2020, Brown detailed how baseball helped mould him into the soccer participant he’s right this moment.
“You catch the ball together with your eyes,” Brown instructed ESPN. “Baseball actually helped me out with that for soccer. Whenever you’re monitoring a ball, particularly a deep ball, it helped me lots. I performed heart area in baseball. On a deep move in soccer, you decide it and monitor it similar to a middle fielder.”
The Tennessee Titans chosen Brown within the second spherical of the 2019 NFL Draft and traded him to the Eagles through the 2022 NFL Draft.
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