It was surprising when Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown was spotted reading a book on the sidelines of their NFL playoff game against the Green Bay Packers. Brown was reading Inner Excellence by Jim Murphy.
As its cover states, the book will “train your mind for extraordinary performance and fullness of life.” Brown said he reads it regularly throughout the season, and it helps him remain calm regardless of what has happened on the field.
Reporters asked Brown in the locker room following the Eagles’ victory over the Packers why he read on the sideline.
“Y’all just caught me at that time,” Brown replied. “I’m doing it every drive, you know, regardless of, like I said, if I score a touchdown or drop a pass; that’s something how I refocus,” he told them.
Brown usually returns to the beginning of the book to clear his mind. During the post-win interview, he stated that reading on the sidelines does not mean he’s frustrated.
“I was not frustrated at all,” Brown said. “I figured that’s what y’all probably thought. I wasn’t frustrated…I like to read.”
Murphy caught wind of Brown’s media attention and was shocked by what was in his hand.
“It’s been a pretty amazing night,” Murphy told Sports Illustrated after the game.
“I’m sitting here in a hotel by myself. I was like, What’s with all these messages? And then I saw what happened and I’m like, Oh my God that’s crazy. Really neat,” he said. “It’s really an honor to be a part of his life and to have a meaningful place in anyone’s life.”
The author said he plans to reach out to the NFL star immediately.
“I’m very grateful, and I’m looking forward to talking with A.J. about it,” he said. “We don’t have a relationship yet, but I’ll send him a message.”
