Getty Amon-Ra St. Brown takes the field for Lions training camp in 2021.
Amon-Ra St. Brown has been a player lauded for his physicality and toughness since he entered the league, but up until now, most folks have had to enjoy his exploits on college tape.
Now that St. Brown is in the NFL with the Detroit Lions, he is getting a chance to show off on a bigger stage, and in Week 1, he wasted no time getting that done and showing off some of the traits which could figure to make him a force to be reckoned with in the league for years to come.
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St. Brown is not just a slippery receiver, but a willing blocker as well. Perhaps even more than willing as some of the tape showed from Detroit’s Week 1 contest against the San Francisco 49ers. Analyst Brandon Thorn from Bleacher Report was watching the tape after the game and spotted a few insane blocks that St. Brown was laying on the opposition.
Here’s a look:
Amon-Ra St. Brown chip x 2
That highlight led Ross Tucker, a former NFL offensive lineman turned analyst, to proclaim that St. Brown reminds him of Hines Ward, a former Super Bowl MVP as well as a four-time Pro Bowler and three-time second-team NFL All-Pro.
@BrandonThornNFL Love the way he plays.
Hines Ward 2.0
Obviously, the hope for the Lions is that St. Brown can not only have the kind of career that Ward did, but begin to build a squad that can match him in terms of his team accomplishments. Ward was one of the toughest players in the league and always a willing blocker in between the lines.
Amon-Ra St. Brown Explains Love of Blocking
This mindset of St. Brown’s to be good in the trenches is something that is not new, and actually dates back to his time playing in high school as a running back. According to St. Brown who spoke with the media on September 15 in an interview posted to DetroitLions.com, he is driven by his desire never to let a running back down with a whiff on an assignment.
“I’ve always kind of had that blocking mentality in me. I think it’s huge,” St. Brown said. “I used to play running back, once I got to high school I stopped playing running back. I played running back my whole life. I think being a running back and having a receiver that doesn’t block is one of the worst feelings ever. You break two tackles and the corner tackles you. So for me, it’s just making sure my guy doesn’t make the tackle and blocking hard every day.”
Thus far in the NFL, it looks as if St. Brown is going to be able to achieve the feat of toughness. It’s something he is not short on whatsoever, especially in the trenches.
St. Brown’s College Stats and Highlights
One of the more underrated wideouts in the draft, St. Brown was part of a deep wideout class and may have been lost in the shuffle a bit in spite of some super talent. As a result, it’s clear he is going to fight and scrap for everything with his new team. During his career with the USC Trojans, St. Brown put up 2,270 yards and 16 scores, making him one of the more underrated yet productive wideouts in the draft. St. Brown also has 1 rushing touchdown and 107 total return yards to his credit. He hasn’t done that a lot, but could also factor in on special teams for the Lions if the team desires.
Here’s a look at some college highlights:
Perhaps St. Brown’s best highlights are those yet to come, especially on the ground and in between the lines.
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