One of the most memorable moments from Sunday’s NFL playoff game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Green Bay Packers came from off the field.
Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown was spotted engrossed in a book during the second half of the Jan. 12 game, which the Eagles won 22-10.
Footage quickly went viral of Brown, 27, reading on the sidelines. He later confirmed he was reading a 2020 motivational book called “Inner Excellence: Train Your Mind for Extraordinary Performance and the Best Possible Life” by Jim Murphy.
Cracking open a book may seem like an unusual choice in the middle of such a high-pressure game, but as Brown later explained, the book keeps him focused.
“This game is 90% mental and 10% physical for me. I bring it to every game and I read it between each drive,” he wrote on X after the Eagles’ victory. “I use it to refocus and lock in despite what may transpire in the game good or bad.”
A.J. Brown catches a pass on Jan. 12, 2025, in the Eagles’ game against the Packers in Philadelphia.Mitchell Leff / Getty Images
The wide receiver also shared a picture of his dog-eared copy of the book, as well as a snapshot of sections he has highlighted and underlined.
“In the pursuit of extraordinary performance, it’s easy to succumb to anxiety and pressure, because so much is out of your control,” reads one highlighted passage. “When you learn to live a life that is fully engaged, however, then you can perform your best and love the challenge.”
Speaking to reporters Sunday, Brown confirmed that he brings the book to “every single game.”
“My teammates call it ‘the recipe,’” he said. “It’s the first time I heard that y’all got me on camera, but it’s not the first game.”
One reporter asked if he was “frustrated” when he was reading the book.
“No, I was not frustrated at all. I figured that’s what y’all probably thought. … I like to read,” he said.
Fans were all over the footage of Brown reading on the sidelines, and many took to X to say they had just ordered their own copies.
“We’re all reading this book in solidarity with AJ Brown,” one person wrote on X.
“Readers are leaders,” another person wrote.
The book’s Amazon page was also flooded with reviews referencing Brown and the Eagles.
“This was great to read on the bench during the NFL playoffs,” one Amazon reviewer wrote, giving the book five stars.
“Seeing AJ casually reading this during the Wild Card game is just another reason why Philly is built different,” another reviewer wrote.
“Who catches touchdowns, dominates playoff games, and still finds time to read about mastering the mental game? A legend, that’s who,” yet another Amazon reviewer wrote. “So naturally, I grabbed a copy the second the game ended because if AJ Brown is unlocking his inner excellence mid-playoffs, you better believe I’m doing the same.”
