AJ Brown does not want your praise; he just wants to keep working
If Eagles WR AJ Brown didn’t already ingratiate himself to the Philly fanbase with his 10-catch, 155 yard opening day performance, the way he’s carrying himself in the aftermath certainly will.
On Friday, Brown spoke to members of the local media ahead of the team’s Monday night showdown with Minnesota. During the presser, Philly’s No. 1 pass catcher said he removed all social media apps from his phone.
Steering clear of social media is not out of the norm for professional athletes. The negative effects from constant scrutiny can be overwhelming for some. In Brown’s case, he decided to step away from social media for the complete opposite reason.
AJ Brown on why he’s no longer on social media:
“I don’t need people to tell me how good I am or how bad I am,” Brown said on Friday. “I’m just trying to focus on this week and make this week my best week.”
“I don’t believe my own hype,” he continued. “I come in and work each and every day. It definitely can get in your head. Everybody wants to hear good things about them. But like I said, I just try to focus on me. I feed myself whatever thoughts I need to feed myself before the game or before practice to get myself prepared. I don’t want it to come from an outsider or anything.”
You can watch AJ Brown’s entire Friday press conference at the Philadelphia Eagles website.
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National pundits love to paint Philadelphia as a cesspool of scumbag fans who actively pray on the downfall of their own players. That couldn’t be further from the truth. In reality, all Philly fans want is an athlete who’s committed to the city, works their asses off, and produces on gameday.
Is that really too much to ask for?
AJ Brown clearly doesn’t think so.
For a guy who just turned 25 in June, Brown is wise beyond his years. The classic mantra that hard works pays off still rings true in this city. Brown clearly understands that.
Since Brown’s dominant showing against Detroit, I’ve seen numerous Eagles fans compare AJ Brown to another great Philly wideout from recent history, Terrell Owens.
Though Brown still has a long way to go before he matches the all-time greatness of Owens, he’s certainly on the right track. On the field, Brown and Owens bring the same type of relentless, infectious energy that can rally an offense. Off the field, the two couldn’t be more different.
AJ Brown wants to put his head down and work. No distractions. No outside noise. Just work, work, work.
T.O., on the other hand, reveled in the attention he got. For a year, Owens was the most popular athlete in this city. His popularity here was due in part to his larger than life personality. But his ego was just too big and it was more than likely fueled by the praise he got every week from this fanbase.
With Brown, I just don’t see that type of ego. The guy is a winner. Whether he’s getting targets or not, he’s going to continue giving his best effort every Sunday.
To quote the great JK Simmons from the 2014 movie Whiplash, “There are no two words in the English language more harmful than ‘good job’.”
AJ Brown seems to live by that slogan. And because of that, he’ll always be a fan favorite in this city.
Mandatory Credit: Rey Del Rio | Getty Images
