A.J. Brown's Love of Reading Shows How the Eagles Wide Receiver Isn't Just About the Game
A.J. Brown went viral the first time he was spotted with a book on the sidelines.
Published Feb. 10 2025, 10:43 a.m. ET
Before the Philadelphia Eagles won Super Bowl LIX against the Kansas City Chiefs, Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown had been seen reading on the sidelines of games. But maybe now, after he was spotted with a book at the big game, it's the unofficial good luck charm for the champion team? Whatever the case may be, plenty of sports fans are wondering what book A.J. Brown was reading.
Usually, when NFL players take a break on the sidelines, or they're waiting for their first time to go in during a game, books are the furthest thing from their minds. They typically go over plays with each other or a coach, get a water break, or even talk to fellow players. But when it comes to A.J., reading takes priority sometimes when he is sitting out between plays.
What book was A.J. Brown reading at the Super Bowl?
During the Super Bowl, after A.J. made a 12-yard touchdown in the second quarter, he was seen reading yet again during a bench break. It turns out, he was reading the same book that he was spotted with before: Inner Excellence by Jim Murphy. So just in case you were hoping he was getting heavily into his fae lore with one of the many A Court of Thorns and Roses books or the sequel to It Ends With Us, we are sorry to break it to you.
Inner Excellence: Train Your Mind for Extraordinary Performance and the Best Possible Life is a self-help book that was published in 2024. It focuses on mental techniques that people from different walks of life can use to better themselves and move forward in life. It looks like this is A.J.'s routine when he's on the field. Or, to be more exact, when he is off the field in between plays too. And so far, reading the book seems to be working for him as an NFL player.
The announcers during the Super Bowl LIX game joked that there is even a "book holder" on the team's staff to "keep the book safe" when A.J. isn't reading it. Following the first time A.J. was shown reading Inner Excellence at a game, the author was reportedly spotted at a game and even a practice for the Eagles. Now, it's becoming commonplace to see A.J. reading at football games.