Amon-Ra St. Brown’s dad, John Brown, was a two-time amateur Mr. Universe, and his sculpted physique was something straight out of a comic book. The kind of muscles that turned heads and clearly came from years of intense dedication. Naturally, as a proud and disciplined father, Brown believed in starting his kids early in the art of training. Maybe a little too early, if you ask Kevin Hart.
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During his appearance on Kevin Hart’s hit show Cold as Balls, Amon-Ra revealed that his dad had him and his brother, Equanimeous, lifting when they were very young. John didn’t immediately hand them dumbbells and barbells—he started with lightweight PVC pipes from Home Depot.
Once his kids mastered the technique, John gradually introduced them to more standard workout gear. Amon-Ra was just five years old when he got his first PVC pipe. And, when he shared that with Hart, the comedian jokingly labeled the upbringing as something extreme, roasting the receiver’s father in classic Kevin Hart fashion.
“How old were you when you started clanging and banging?” Hart playfully asked Amon-Ra.
“I would say five years old,” the Lions star responded. “That’s abuse,” Hart shot back without missing a beat.
Amon-Ra tried to assure the comedian that it wasn’t abuse at all. But Hart wasn’t having it — all in good fun, of course. Amon-Ra then pointed out that he was simply using PVC pipes to learn proper lifting form. Yet, the comedian continued to egg him on.
“I can get child services here right now,” Hart quipped.
Amon-Ra even fired back with some jokes of his own. He asked Hart when he started lifting and whether taking supplements had stunted his growth. Naturally, the comedian sidestepped the short joke and kept messing with the NFL star.
Amon-Ra’s weird diet
Something equally as wacky as John having his kids lift at such a young age was the unusual diet he instilled in them. During a game in 2023, John was caught by the film crew for the series Receiver on Netflix telling Amon-Ra to drink Coca-Cola at halftime instead of water or Gatorade. The reason? Supposedly, the soda gives you more energy than the two alternatives.
“I told my son to drink Coca-Cola. Because Coca-Cola will keep his energy level. Yeah, Coca-Cola is the thing. I said, ‘Trust me, Coke is the thing, not Gatorade.’” John was then filmed leaving a message for Amon-Ra in his voicemail box.
“If you get this message, don’t forget, half-time drink Coca-Cola. Water isn’t going to give you any energy.”
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It may sound like an unconventional drink to re-energize with, but what John has instilled in his sons has been anything but conventional. And his methods have proved fruitful.
Today, Amon-Ra is one of the best wide receivers in the league. He’s made the Pro Bowl in three straight seasons, and the first team All-Pro the last two. This is partially thanks to the strong athleticism and work ethic that his father instilled in him at such a young age. Maybe Hart sees it as abuse, but the hard work paid off for the Brown family.
