In one of the most peculiar images to be remembered in the NFL playoffs, the broadcast of the game between Eagles vs Packers caught Philadelphia receiver A.J. Brown reading a book while sitting on the bench instead of focusing on the game.
In defense of Brown, he took a look at an inspiring title "Inner Excellence" by Jim Murphy. The book is described on the cover as one that "trains your mind for extraordinary performance and the best possible life."
Why was Brown reading the book during the game?
In a game without major setbacks, and where the team's defense was key to the victory, the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Green Bay Packers 22-10 in the wild card round of the playoffs and advanced to the next stage.
Through the air, the Eagles had a modest game, totaling 121 yards, and in the particular case of A.J. Brown, he only had one reception for 10 yards. Perhaps that gave him time for some light reading...
After the game, the receiver confessed that he often reads on the bench, but added that "this time they caught me."
According to Brown, who had 67 receptions for 1,079 yards and seven touchdowns this season, he described the lessons from the book as helpful because football is “90% mental and 10% physical for me.” “If I score a touchdown or drop a pass, it’s about how I refocus,” Brown said. “I always go back to the beginning of the book. It states that if you can have a clear mind and remember that nothing else matters, clean conscience, nothing matters negative or positive. You are willing to take risks. It also says that if you are humble, you can’t feel shame,” he added.
Brown later shared a photo of the book on social media with several highlighted passages in yellow.
The book reaches the top in the rankings
Murphy's biography on his website states that he is a former minor league baseball gardener and a mental skills coach for professional athletes. Murphy said he worked with another Eagles player who recommended the book to Brown.
Murphy told The Associated Press that he was watching a replay of the Orange Bowl between Penn State and Notre Dame when his phone started filling up with text messages saying that his book had made a cameo in an NFL playoff game.
"It's quite unique to read it during the game," said Murphy over the phone from Dallas. "I saw that he was reading it on the sidelines before. I saw a picture of that. I thought, oh, that's really cool, I've never had an athlete read it during the game."
The book became the number one bestseller on Amazon’s list during Monday morning and also the number one on the iTunes audiobooks list.