Wide receiver A.J. Brown was ready for the long haul and the big time as a member of the Tennessee Titans, for whom he was a growing star.
Then came the April 2022 blockbuster. Tennessee traded him to the Philadelphia Eagles. He told Sports Illustrated that when he got the news, he cried.
He’s not crying now. Brown turned out to be a key catalyst in helping the Eagles reach the Super Bowl, where they will play the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.
During a Monday interview session, Brown explained how he adjusted to the sudden change in his life.
“I had plans, but God had other plans.” @Eagles Wide Receiver @1kalwaysopen_ shares how he leans on God’s plan for his life at Super Bowl LVII in Phoenix, AZ!https://t.co/f7XMkTXz3o pic.twitter.com/zzxstRJKrH
— Sports Spectrum (@Sports_Spectrum) February 7, 2023
“I had plans and God had other plans,” he said.
“I try not to lean on my own understanding. I read the Bible a lot because that’s how I fight my problems. I’m not trying to stand up here and be a perfect guy because I’m not; nobody is. But I just lean heavily on my faith and try to let Him direct my paths,” he said.
During the session, he was asked if he had a favorite Bible verse.
“Romans 8:18. The pain you have been feeling cannot compare to the joy that is coming,’” he responded.
Brown has been public about his faith long before the Eagles were knocking on the Super Bowl’s door. As Sports Spectrum noted, he draws a cross under each eye with eye black. He prays on the field.
No better feeling when I put my armor of God on. Confidence come from the man the man above! I fear nothing ?? pic.twitter.com/eYyOrecH3k
— AJ Brown (@1kalwaysopen_) September 20, 2022
“I play for God. I don’t play for expectations of man. I play this game because God has given me the ability to play this game, and doing my best is giving my due diligence back to Him,” Brown said before the season began, according to Sports Spectrum,
“I’m a Christian first, before anything,” he had said while still playing for the Titans, according to Sports Spectrum.
“When I step out on the field, I want to say thank you for the blessing, for everything, because I don’t have to do this. I get to do this. So I always wear a cross,” he said
But as he noted when he spoke to Sports illustrated, it never hurts to have friends, either.
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, who is also vocal about his faith, contacted Brown soon after the trade, Brown said.
“As soon as he called me, we got to laughing and the tears went away. I was ready for a new start,” he said.
And now, he will take the field for the biggest prize in the NFL.
“This is why we play the game. I’m not playing for any individual awards. I’m playing the game to be the best and hold the trophy up at the end. Right now, we’re right here. We’re at the door. We just have to go take it,” he said last week, according to Sports Spectrum.
“I’m blessed just to be playing in the Super Bowl.”
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.