The Detroit Lions were the one team Amon-Ra St. Brown didn’t want to draft him. Now he’s grateful that they did.
Almost three years to the date, Amon-Ra St. Brown was furious at the world, trying to shake off his frustrations with another round at the Jugs machine. St. Brown had just been passed over for the first two days on the 2022 NFL Draft after throwing a big party on Day 2.
Though he wouldn’t have to wait long for his name to be called by the Detroit Lions on Day 3, he wasn’t exactly thrilled to join a team that had one of the most unsuccessful histories of any NFL franchise.
“When I got drafted, this is the one team I didn’t want to go to,” St. Brown admitted Friday morning. “If you told me, ‘You’re going to Detroit,’ I’d be like, ‘Damn. I don’t know.’”
On Thursday, St. Brown signed a four-year extension with the team he never wanted to be associated with. The Lions, in turn, handed him a record-breaking deal worth $120 million after three illustrious seasons to kick off his NFL.
Looking back on his unpredictable journey, St. Brown is not only thankful for landing in Detroit, but he gives this team—and city—part of the credit for why he’s now reaping the benefits of his own hard work.
“I don’t think I’d be able to do what I’ve done on any other team,” St. Brown said. “Like I’ve said, the people, the organization, the coaches, the players, this city, the fans. I didn’t know coming here what kind of fans they had here.
“I knew, for the most part, it was a losing franchise. I didn’t think the fans were like this. I thought it would just be whatever. But I remember my rookie year, the fans were at almost every game. We weren’t winning any games and they were still there supporting us. Just from then on, I knew what kind of fans they had here, the people of this city. And that’s something I really appreciate as a player because things happen in sports, you have losing seasons, you have winning seasons, but to feel love and supported by your fans is great. That’s what Detroit city fans are like.”
Even though St. Brown now has the major accomplishment of a lucrative second NFL contract under his belt, there won’t be an ounce of complacency within his body. In fact, he only sees more motivation with the added weight of expectation upon him now.
“People are going to be looking at me and saying, ‘He makes this much money? What is he doing?’” St. Brown said. “There are going to be even more eyes on me, and that’s the pressure I like to feel. I want to put it on myself, and I love any expectation people have of me. I always got to do more. I can’t wait to get back to work.”
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