"He's got a lot of God-Given talent:" when AJ Brown's HS coach praised him after receiving the Under Armour All-America honorary jersey

Philadelphia Eagles' wide receiver AJ Brown is one of the best NFL Players in the league with a highly decorated career at just 27 years old. He is fresh off a Super Bowl victory against the Kansas City Chiefs in his second appearance. He is already a 3x All-Pro, 3x Pro-Bowler and boasts the No. 1 rank as a wide receiver in the 2025 NFL season, according to Pro Football Focus.

The seeds of his successful career were planted back home in his high school, where he was a football standout, leading his Starkville High to a 6A state championship as a senior. In his senior year, he registered 1,371 yards, 83 receptions, and 13 touchdowns.

He first shot to recognition as a junior, when recording 60 catches for 1,125 yards, in addition to a team-high 17 touchdowns. He was then selected for the Under Armour All-America Game.

Brown's high school football coach, Ricky Woods, praised his sportsmanship, which eventually led Starkville High to a 7-1 record.

"He’s a humble guy,” Woods said in an interview with The Dispatch. “He’s got a lot of God-given talent, and he works hard to improve as much as he can to up his ability level. He practices hard. All the kids like him, the coaches like him, and I like him. He’s just a good person.”

AJ Brown's father, Arthur, also congratulated his son and expressed his happiness.

"He has done a wonderful job,” Arthur said. “Being 18 years old, I think he really wore a big hat. He did everything we pretty much asked of him.”

The Under Armour All-America game is a high school football event, showcasing top recruits from across the nation. Brown was not only a football prodigy, but was a noteworthy baseball player, playing in the Under Armour baseball league as well.

"My father always told me to stay humble and keep working no matter what because it can all be over in any second,” AJ Brown said. “I’m just going to worship God, keep going forward, and keep working hard.”

He dreamt of playing in the Super Bowl, and his fresh victory against the Eagles is proof of his hard work and merit.

“I’m not trying to focus on where I’m going to go because I’m going to have time for that,” Brown said. “I’m just trying to get a ring.”

AJ Brown's professional journey, making the top wide receiver in the league

After wrapping up his high school career in 2016, AJ Brown headed to Ole Miss. He then signed with the San Diego Padres and entered the 2016 Major League Baseball draft, which rendered him ineligible to play baseball for the University of Missouri. But, he was still eligible for the Ole Miss football roster, and won the Conerly Trophy.

AJ Brown entered the 2019 NFL draft and was selected by the Tennessee Titans as the 19th pick in the second round, and three years later, he joined the Philadelphia Eagles.