Even though he’s from Mississippi, A.J. Brown certainly seems to be familiar with the teachings of the Notorious B.I.G. According to the star wide receiver of the Philadelphia Eagles, the idea that the more money we come across, the more problems we see, is painfully true.
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Brown recently went viral for his comments, which included him stating, “You got a woman problem right now? Get $100 million and that problem is going to show up loud and clear.”
The reigning Super Bowl champion cautioned that wealth can make one much more susceptible to their own vices, a message that the former quarterback of the Carolina Panthers, Cam Newton, is willing to cosign.
It is worth noting that Newton earned around $135 million in the 11 years of his playing career in the NFL, as per Over the Cap. With many business ventures to his name and media appearances, he is financially sound.
On the latest episode of the 4th & 1 with Cam Newton podcast, the NFC South legend spoke out in support of Brown, claiming that he was simply being honest in his assessment of life. According to both Brown and Newton, the male community needs to make a concerted effort to improve both discipline and communication.
“There’s so many times men mask their real issues… Money does a lot of things to an individual, but one thing that money does is magnify who you really are. Money does that, money magnifies your desires, your infidelities, your issues, your addictions… When you have enough of it, this word does not apply to you: No….Because everything has a cost.”
The 2015 regular season MVP asserted that he had a similar experience like Brown after inheriting the initial batch of his NFL fortune. Once he was a household name, “no” was replaced by “how much?”
As athletes continue to amass fortunes at younger and younger ages, Newton surmised that this sense of invincibility can lead to some less-than-ideal decisions being made. For all of the pain and hardships that can come with hearing the word “no,” the retired signal caller was adamant that the word can be both a blessing and a curse.
“Man, bro, I’m craving some cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory. ‘Man, they closed, bruh.’ Man, how much is it going to cost for someone to go in there and get me… You start seeing addictions with alcohol and drugs. You don’t have the word “no” at your disposal anymore. Now it’s really going to show you discipline.”
Considering that Brown signed a three-year, $96-million contract extension with the Eagles in the Spring of 2024, he’ll likely need all of the discipline that he can find. Thankfully, he shouldn’t have to look too far for a source of motivation.
The physical wideout recently announced his engagement to his longtime girlfriend, Kelsey Riley, just a few months following Philadelphia’s victory at Super Bowl LIX. The two of them initially made their relationship public in February of 2022, just a few months prior to the Tennessee Titans trading him to the Eagles.
Surrounded by a loving and supportive family, Brown has every tool at his disposal when it comes to remaining focused on the task at hand. Something that will surely come in handy following his next bank-breaking contract.
