Amon-Ra St. Brown, one of the best receivers in the NFL, is the son of a bodybuilding great. John Brown promised his three sons when they were young they’d have shots at NFL careers if they followed his rigorous nutrition and training regimen. The oldest son, Equanimeous, a former Notre Dame standout, played seven seasons in the NFL, mostly for Green Bay and Chicago. The middle son, Osiris, played for Stanford. And Amon-Ra is entering his sixth season with the Detroit Lions. How did these three brothers excel on the gridiron? It all started in the gym.
MR. UNIVERSE
John Brown, who grew up in Compton, California, began competing in bodybuilding contests when a teenager in 1975. He won the Mr. Los Angeles in 1977 and the NABBA Mr. Universe in 1981 and 1982. At 6’1” and around 250, he competed in 12 IFBB pro contests from 1984 to 1991, including the 1985 Mr. Olympia, but he never finished higher than eighth. Unfortunately for Brown, there was no classic physique division then, because, with his tiny waist, aesthetic shape, and flair for posing, he could’ve thrived in shows that deemphasized size and striations. A popular guest poser in Europe, he met his wife, Miriam, in Germany. They settled in Southern California, raising their three uniquely-named sons.
THE BROWN BRIGADE
Brown, who mentored bodybuilding greats Shawn Ray and Melvin Anthony, was noted for his brutal work ethic. Lengthy and frequent workouts included high-reps and lots of supersets. He formulated a similar plan for his sons but focused on football endurance as well as strength and speed: fast-paced workouts with little rest. At only nine, years before most kids have even touched a barbell, Amon-Ra had already been lifting for four years, and, as a video proves, he could bench press 135 for three reps. Sports Illustrated profiled the Brown family in 2017, when Amon-Ra was still a high school phenom. The author wrote:
John tailored their training and diet around his own hard-earned lessons from bodybuilding. He calls it “athleticism power training” and it comes with unusual tenets. In a given week, he’ll work every muscle group from their necks to their feet, but stretching is forbidden. For the most part, so are lean proteins like chicken and fish. John is in the business of producing horsepower, raw explosive strength, so he blends them protein shakes at least twice a day and makes sure every dinner is loaded with red meat. The portions are always doubled, one for that night and a second helping for breakfast the next morning. Each time, they’re expected to eat until they’re stuffed. And if the meal is paired with a sugary beverage or a slice of cake for dessert, well, great. “You need those calories,” John says. Besides, he adds, “Kool-Aid is good for the soul.”
AMON-RA, PRO BOWLER
Amon-Ra later said: “Lifting with my dad at a young age, you felt like you were stronger than every kid on the field. You mentally felt like you had an advantage over all the other kids. If you know you’re stronger than the guy you’re competing against, it breeds confidence.”
It certainly worked for Amon-Ra, who, despite being the shortest and lightest of the brothers, has long been touted as the strongest. At his USC Pro Day, he pumped out 20 bench press reps, an impressive tally for a wideout (third out of the sixty-two 2021 wide receiver draft prospects). He was seriously overlooked in the NFL Draft, going in the fourth round, and went on to set Lions rookie receiving records. The four-time Pro Bowler is noted for his great hands but also his explosiveness and powerful blocking ability. Those qualities were earned, first, in gyms, from countless reps under his father’s supervision. Just as John Brown built one of the best physiques in the world nearly a half-century ago, he helped build one of the best football players in the world today.
