Eagles WR AJ Brown reminds us to reach out to those closest to us

The recent suicide of Kyren Lacey has brought mental health to the forefront of everyone’s attention and is a reminder to us all that fame, wealth, or success does not make you immune to depression.

This crisis affected Eagles wide receiver, AJ Brown, who was brave enough to share his experience.

A.J Brown, the NFL football player:

AJ Brown was selected by the Tennessee Titans in the second round of the 2019 draft with the 51st overall pick.

AJ immediately established himself as the Titans’ top receiving playmaker. His statistics during his first three seasons in the NFL mirrored those from his college career, but with more touchdowns.

Brown reeled in 185 receptions for 2,995 yards (an impressive 16.2 yards per catch average) and 24 touchdowns.

Despite being very productive and a fan favorite in Tennessee, his time there was coming to an end due to an impasse in contract negotiations.

Brown stated “I just wanted my work to be appreciated”

He was feeling frustrated in his professional life and hopeless in his personal.

Mental Health:

From an outside perspective, things seemed great for the young wideout, but inside, the dominant wideout was missing something and hurting. The pain was becoming more than he could bear.

In November 2020, Brown stated that he thought about taking his own life.

“I had no more hope for better days and everything was just going wrong for me”

On November 12, 2021, AJ went public regarding his thoughts of taking his own life in a very open TikTok post that he shared with the world. It was on the first anniversary of his decision to choose life.

“I just wanted to put out a positive message that I’m still here. I’m still growing. I’m still learning. I’m blessed. I’ve got a lot of things to be grateful for and someone was there for me. So reach out to your loved ones and ask them how they’re doing and listen to them, you know, because it’s important.”

It took courage and bravery to come out so eloquently, but the wideout knew the impact and importance of sharing his story was more valuable than any scrutiny he would endure.

“Be there for someone because someone was there for me. God told him all the right things to say to me that night. Take depression seriously. Take how you feel and how you handle situations seriously. Life happens to all of us but you’re not too tough to talk to someone and get things off your chest. Life is a beautiful thing and everyone should be able to live it to the fullest.” (Via NBC Sports Philadelphia)

AJ was ready to move forward with football, and to a new city.

Philadelphia Eagles:

Once it became known in league circles that AJ Brown would be available via trade, Eagles GM Howie Roseman was salivating for the opportunity to acquire him.

Draft night 2022, Howie and the Eagles finally landed their guy.

The Eagles traded one of their 2022 first-round picks (number 18))and one of their two third-round picks (number 101) to the Tennessee Titans during the 2022 NFL draft, for A.J. Brown. AJ then immediately signed an extension with the Eagles that added 4 years and 100 million dollars with 57 million guaranteed.

The Eagles’ general manager, Howie Roseman, described the team’s desire to acquire Brown.

“Was it a priority to get a wide receiver? It was a priority to get the right players. This for us was the right player, this was the right fit. I can’t tell you we were going to definitely draft a receiver in the first round. We had some other players that we were looking at here. I think we felt like this particular player, this particular person, the fit was really good for what we had and what we were looking for.” (Via Sports Illustrated)

Brown shared in the Eagles’ excitement and the special moment he shared with QB Jalen Hurts moments after the trade was finalized.

It has been a defining moment for all. Since the Eagles acquired AJ Brown they have been in two Super Bowls in the three years together, and have won a Championship.