His quarterback loves him, expert Tom Brady praises him, his opponents fear him: Amon-Ra St. Brown is one of the NFL offensive stars – even without looking through German glasses. Detroit’s wide receiver is breaking records and defying odds.
Amon-Ra St. Brown is playing his fourth NFL season with the Detroit Lions. The motor city in Michigan has long since become his sporting home. The wide receiver loves Detroit, loves the club, loves the fans. And they love him. But right now things are getting a little more unpleasant for St. Brown. Because it’s autumn in Detroit – and therefore cold. At least for someone who was born and raised in California and also spent his college years there.
The 25-year-old was recently asked by the local media how he was coping with the cold. “I don’t know if I ever got used to the cold,” replied St. Brown. The Lions play their home games at Ford Field, a dome, but sometimes practice outside. And as soon as the thermometer shows only ten degrees, St. Brown wears gloves during training. Always. Knowing full well that he will hear a lot from his teammates. They then call him “Cali boy” and shake their heads. But St. Brown always responds with a smile. “I need to feel warm, I can’t stand having cold hands.”
Seven games in a row with a touchdown
He’s really running hot on the football field right now. On November 10th, when Detroit actually won the Sunday Night Game at the Houston Texans 26:23 despite a 6:23 halftime deficit and five interceptions from quarterback Jared Goff, St. Brown scored his seventh touchdown of the season. What’s more: It was the seventh game in a row with a touchdown for him – and therefore a new club record.
The fact that the Lions have an 8:1 record for the first time since – attention – 1954 is also due to this Amon-Ra Julian Heru John St. Brown, the son of the former world-class bodybuilder John Brown and Miriam Steyer, who comes from Leverkusen. The youngest of three brothers is the first German in the NFL to achieve star status. After all the muscular and massive Sebastian Vollmers, Markus Kuhns, Björn Werners and Kasim Edebalis, he is not only the first outstanding professional in a skill position, but also a real difference player here. Someone who achieved club records in Detroit in his rookie season. And one who signed by far the largest contract at the end of April.
Bigger contract than Dirk Nowitzki once had
St. Brown extended early by four years. His signature is worth $120 million to the Lions. For comparison: Dirk Nowitzki’s biggest contract with the Dallas Mavericks earned him $80 million in four years. Only Franz Wagner will earn more than St. Brown. The national basketball player will earn at least $224 million in five years with the Orlando Magic starting in 2025. With all bonuses, even $270 million is possible.
Although St. Brown grew up in Orange County, south of Los Angeles, and learned American football in the USA, he attaches great importance to his German side. In interviews with German media he speaks German. His accent is unmistakable and sometimes the English term comes out of his mouth faster than the corresponding German word, but St. Brown can still communicate very well.
Even as a toddler, he was the most talented of the St. Brown brothers
From family circles we learn that even as a little boy, Amon-Ra was said to have been a little more talented than his older brothers Equanimeous (who has been playing in the NFL since 2018/ed.) and Osiris, who were undoubtedly also talented. As a five-year-old, he caught tennis balls with one hand on the trampoline in his garden as naturally as others of that age push a plastic wheelbarrow in front of them or kick a soccer ball.
He fondly remembers summer holidays in Germany, with grandma and grandpa in Leverkusen-Hitdorf and with an aunt in Saxony-Anhalt. As a teenager, Amon-Ra played for the German U19 national football team at the 2015 European Championships in Dresden. He was just 15 years old at the time. He was smaller and lighter than his teammates and opponents. Still, he was one of the best. In the final, Germany lost 22:30 against Austria. St. Brown scored the first touchdown.
German and US flags on the helmet
The German-American, who, in addition to the US flag, also wears a black, red and gold sticker on his helmet, was initially considered one of many when he came into the league in 2021. In the talent distribution draft, he was only selected in the fourth round and 112th overall by the Lions – and was quite disappointed about that. However, St. Brown is now one of only 14 professionals in this draft – and the only one from rounds three and four – who was elected to the Pro Bowl, i.e. the NFL All-Star Game.
St. Brown is a slot receiver. This means: a pass receiver who plays primarily in the middle of the football field. Where things are most and toughest. Where it really crashes and bangs. Where sometimes several defenders work on the wide receivers at the same time – with everything that is allowed and even more. And in this “slot,” St. Brown does “more damage to opponents than anyone else in the league,” said Tom Brady. Can there actually be an even greater compliment? From someone even more prominent?
The “Cali boy” braves the cold in Green Bay
Former quarterback star and seven-time Super Bowl champion Brady has been working as an expert for “Fox Sports” since this season. After every game he broadcasts, he awards a small trophy to the professional who particularly inspires him with a special action, even who literally tore him out of the commentary seat – and who therefore makes him shout three special words: LFG – let’s fucking go!
On November 3rd, Brady’s “LFG award” went to St. Brown. He visited the Green Bay Packers with Detroit that Sunday. It was the Lions’ first outdoor appearance in the eighth game of the season. And it was cold, wet, windy. In short: really disgusting – not just for a “Cali boy”. Despite external adversity, Detroit won 24:14 at its division rival. St. Brown – of course – contributed a touchdown to the success and celebrated it with a headstand in the Packers end zone. But expert Brady found something else much more remarkable.
Caught 30 passes in a row
He called it “a ridiculous stat”, a statistic that sounds so crazy that you can’t believe it. St. Brown had caught all seven passes thrown to him by quarterback Goff in Green Bay. From the third matchday onwards, he had picked up 30 passes in a row – without dropping a single one. “That says so much about your reliability and consistency,” praised Brady. “Jared knows what routes I like to run. And I know what he sees on the field,” replied St. Brown, pointing out that he was already playing with the playmaker for the fourth season. “This chemistry is amazing,” said Brady.
According to the data analysis platform NextGenStats, based on the difficulty of the throws, the probability of someone actually catching all 30 passes in a row was higher at 0.0001 percent. St. Brown caught them – and even caught the 31st pass in a row in the win in Houston on November 10th. Only then did a throw that was a little too short follow. It was the first incomplete pass from Goff to St. Brown since September 22nd.
“What’s it called? How do you spell it?”
When Goff entered the NFL in 2016 and was still playing for the Los Angeles Rams, he first heard the name Amon-Ra St. Brown. Although, no. Rather, he noticed that there was a wide receiver at Mater Dei High School, almost 50 kilometers south of LA, who was “incredible.” Someone with an unusual name. “What’s it called? How do you spell it?” he asked at the time, Goff recalled a few days ago.
He now knows Amon-Ra very well – even privately. Goff trusts his teammate with the number 14, no matter the game situation. “He’s great, a hard worker, does everything right. I love him and feel very lucky to be able to play with him.”
