During the NFL playoffs, maintaining mental focus is crucial, especially for players like Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown, who faced challenges during a recent game against the Green Bay Packers. Brown had a tough outing with just one catch for 10 yards in the Eagles’ 22-10 victory, but he managed to find his center with a unique coping mechanism: reading.
In the fourth quarter, Brown was spotted reading “Inner Excellence,” a self-help book by Jim Murphy designed to enhance mental performance. Despite the scrutiny over his limited productivity during the game, Brown clarified that reading is part of his routine, emphasizing its importance for mental fortitude. “That ain’t it,” he stated, addressing any speculation about the book’s influence on his performance. “I do it every drive regardless if I score a touchdown or drop a pass. It’s how I refocus.”
Brown explained that the book provides him with a sense of peace and serves as a valuable resource for mental preparation. “It’s got a lot of points in there. It’s a mental game, a lot of mental parts about it… I physically believe I can do anything and everything. But I gotta make sure my mental is good,” he added.
His teammate, quarterback Jalen Hurts, remarked that while he hasn’t specifically noticed Brown reading on the sidelines, he supports each player’s individual approach to finding their rhythm: “Everybody has a different thing, and finds their flow in different ways.”
“Inner Excellence” encourages readers to cultivate extraordinary performance under pressure—a fitting theme for Brown’s journey this season. The book is readily available through retailers like Amazon and Barnes & Noble, potentially allowing other athletes and individuals seeking to enhance their mental conditioning access to its insights.
In light of the playoffs and the pressures that come with it, Brown’s methods serve as a reminder of the importance of mental health and personal strategies in high-stakes environments. His approach could inspire others to find their own ways to cope and thrive under pressure, illustrating that the mental game is just as essential as the physical one on the road to success.