Before A.J. Brown became one of the NFL’s most explosive wide receivers, hauling in touchdowns and rewriting the record books in Philadelphia, he was almost something else entirely. The Eagles wide receiver had aspirations of being a star on different field.
A baseball star.
The Padres
“I was a really good hitter. I had a good bat.”
That wasn’t just bravado. In 2016, the San Diego Padres used a 19th-round MLB Draft pick on the high school outfielder from Starkville, Mississippi. They saw what NFL scouts would later drool over: speed, power, and a presence that made everyone stop and stare. Padres scout Steve Moritz didn’t mince words when he wrote up Brown’s scouting report, projecting him as an “everyday” big leaguer with “above-average power, above-average speed, and elite defensive range.” From sprinting to score from first, to bare-handing a ball hit while joking with teammates, and firing a clean throwback like it was nothing.
San Diego believed. They signed him to a unique deal: $100,000 in signing bonuses, a locker in spring training, and a few days each year in Arizona with real prospects. All this while Brown was still eligible to play football at Ole Miss. For three springs, the Padres welcomed him like one of their own.
“I always looked forward to that visit,” said Tony Tarasco, a former major leaguer and then-coordinator for Padres outfield development, whom I covered during his time as a Richmond Braves outfielder. “It was blocked off on my schedule: A.J. Brown is coming.”
Brown didn’t just go through the motions. He stretched, took batting practice, shagged flies. He asked questions. He admired others’ swings. He was serious about the work.
Tarasco discussed Brown’s intentions. “He wasn’t there for the money. He was there because he really loves to play this game.”
And yet, deep down, Brown knew.
NFL over MLB
“Scoring touchdowns, man. I’d rather score a TD than hit a HR.”
That one sentence may have changed the course of two sports.
Brown’s contract allowed him to walk away from baseball at any time, and when the Titans called his name in the 2nd round of the 2019 NFL Draft, he did just that. But even as his NFL stardom grew, culminating in a massive contract extension with the Eagles and a historic season, baseball never fully left him.
“Sometimes I think about playing both sports again. All I need is a workout.”
It wasn’t an empty boast. Brown wasn’t just another athlete reminiscing about high school glory. He was the top outfielder in Mississippi. One of only two athletes, alongside current Arizona Cardinal Kyler Murray, to play in both high school football and baseball All-American games. The Padres held his MLB rights through the end of 2023, and they even invited him back to spring training before he signed with Philly.
In another dimension, A.J. Brown is patrolling the outfield in San Diego, batting behind Fernando Tatis Jr., trying to chase down a Gold Glove. Instead, he’s making jaw-dropping catches on Sundays, punishing defenders, and helping the Eagles win the Super Bowl.
AJ Brown, the athlete
And that may be the real story of A.J. Brown. He is not just a rare talent, but a rare spirit. Whether in cleats or spikes, on grass or dirt, Brown plays with the same joy and focus that made him unforgettable in every clubhouse and locker room he’s ever stepped in to. He could have been on a different coast, playing a different sport, and having the same success. The NFL and the Philadelphia Eagles are lucky that he enjoyed touchdowns more than home runs.
So when he asked if Eagles’ fans would chant “AAAAAAOOOOO” after a touchdown, just remember we all could have been chanting “hey batter batter, swing batter”
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Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
