A.J. Brown explains his in-game reading habits after win over Packers originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
The book is a bit beaten up. The pages of the paperback are soft from use and there are passages both highlighted and underlined for extra emphasis.
A.J. Brown’s copy of “Inner Excellence” by Jim Murphy became a viral sensation on Sunday evening when a FOX camera caught him reading it on the sideline between offensive series during the Eagles’ 22-10 win over the Packers.
But this isn’t a new thing. Far from it.
“Man, it gives me a sense of peace,” Brown said. “That’s a book that I bring every single game. My teammates call it the recipe. That’s the first time I heard that y’all got me on camera. But it’s not the first game. It got a lot of points in there. It’s a lot of mental game, a lot of mental parts about it. For me, this game is mental. I physically believe I can do anything and everything but I gotta make sure my mental good.
“It’s something how I refresh every drive regardless of whether I score a touchdown or I drop a pass. I always go back to that book every drive and just re-focus.”
Brown, 27, said the book was recommended by him earlier in the season by defensive tackle Moro Ojomo. Brown’s teammates know he likes to read so it’s not a surprise that a book was recommended to him.
Brown is a fan of non-fiction and he tries to read two books per month. He aims to read one book in the first half of the month and another in the second half.
But he keeps coming back to “Inner Excellence” because there’s something in it that speaks to him.
In particular, Brown finds himself re-reading an early passage in the book found on the bottom of Page 2 that explains “the pursuit of extraordinary performance.” Brown tweeted out photos of the book on Sunday night.
What does it mean to Brown?
“I always revert back to the beginning of the book,” Brown said. “It states that if you can just have a clear mind. If you have a clear mind and remember that nothing else matters. Clear mind and clear conscience, nothing matters negative or positive. You’re willing to take risks. I go back to it. It also says if you’re humble, you can’t be embarrassed. So no matter what happens in a game or no matter what happens, I’m just going to stay free and play free, keep going, take risks.”
In the Eagles’ 22-10 win, Brown had a pretty quiet afternoon. He was targeted three times and had 1 catch for 10 yards. Because of that, plenty of folks wondered if — the FOX broadcast even intimated that — Brown’s sideline reading was indicative of some sort of frustration.
That’s not the case, Brown explained.
“No, I was not frustrated at all,” Brown said. “I figured that’s probably what y’all thought. I wasn’t frustrated. Why y’all always think I be frustrated? Dang! I read the book, I like to read it.”
There’s probably a reason why fellow receiver DeVonta Smith didn’t seem shocked to see Brown whip out the book during the middle of game.
The full title of the book that was published in 2020 is “Inner Excellence: Train Your Mind for Extraordinary Performance and the Best Possible Life” and thanks to Brown, it skyrocketed to No. 1 on Amazon’s best sellers list on Sunday night.
“I’ve never seen him read,” Jalen Hurts said. “I’ve seen the book in his hands. Everybody has a different thing and finds their flow in different ways. That’s how we choose to do it.”
Like the book, Brown was a little beaten up entering Sunday’s game too. He has been fighting through a knee injury but claims he felt fine during the game and came out of it healthy. Even though Brown didn’t have a huge game on Sunday, if the Eagles keep this run going, they’re going to need their superstar receiver to be a bigger part of the offense.
After Sunday’s game, Brown was proud of his blocking that helped spring some of his teammates.
Brown said he likes to read, in general, because it keeps his mind occupied. He also recently took up playing chess but don’t expect to see a chess board on the sideline anytime soon.
You will see the book … if you look for it. Brown said he even ran out for the game with it in-hand on Sunday afternoon. And even though he wasn’t seen carrying it back into the locker room after the game, there it was, on the shelf in his locker stall.
“It just gets back,” Brown said with a smile. “They know it’s the recipe.”
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