Honestly, if you only know AJ Brown as the guy bullying cornerbacks for the Philadelphia Eagles, you’re missing the wildest part of the story. Before he was a Pro Bowl wideout, Brown was a literal myth in the state of Mississippi. Specifically at Starkville High School. People in that town don't just talk about his touchdowns; they talk about him like a folk hero who could have just as easily been hitting home runs in the MLB right now.
It’s easy to look at a 226-pound receiver today and think, "Yeah, he was probably a beast in high school." But Brown wasn't just a beast. He was an anomaly.
The Starkville Years: More Than Just Football
Brown attended Starkville High School in the heart of Mississippi, a place where high school football is basically a religion. During his senior year in 2015, he put up numbers that look like someone playing a video game on the easiest difficulty setting. We're talking 83 receptions for 1,371 yards and 13 touchdowns.
He didn't just pad his stats against weak teams, either. He led the Yellowjackets to a 6A State Championship, cementing his place in the school’s history books alongside teammate and current NFL linebacker Willie Gay.
Breaking Down the High School Stats
- Senior Season (2015): 83 catches, 1,371 yards, 13 TDs.
- Junior Season (2014): 52 catches, 1,019 yards, 16 TDs.
- Career Total: 2,883 receiving yards and 35 touchdowns over three varsity seasons.
You’ve gotta realize that at 6-foot-1 and already hovering around 220 pounds in high school, he was physically a man among boys. He wasn't just faster; he was significantly stronger than anyone trying to press him at the line.
The MLB Draft Choice Nobody Mentions
Here is the thing that usually surprises people. AJ Brown was so good at baseball that the San Diego Padres drafted him. Seriously. In the 2016 MLB Draft, the Padres took him in the 19th round as an outfielder.
He actually signed with them, too.
While he was starring at Ole Miss for football, he was technically a professional baseball player. He spent his summers in Peoria, Arizona, at the Padres' extended spring training. He was only the second player ever—after Kyler Murray—to be named an Under Armour All-American in both football and baseball.
Think about that for a second. Most athletes struggle to be elite in one sport. Brown was a top-tier national recruit in two.
Recruiting Drama: Why He Spurned the Hometown Bulldogs
Starkville High is literally minutes away from the Mississippi State University campus. Usually, if you’re a local star in Starkville, you go to State. It's just what you do. But Brown took a different path, and it caused a massive stir in the community.
He chose Ole Miss.
For those who don't know the intensity of the Egg Bowl rivalry, that’s like a Red Sox fan’s kid growing up to play for the Yankees. He faced a lot of heat for it. People in his own hometown were frustrated, but Brown was focused on what he felt was the best fit for his game. Looking back at his record-breaking career at Ole Miss and his subsequent rise to NFL stardom, it’s hard to say he made the wrong call.
The Competitive Edge at Starkville High School
What made Brown special at Starkville High School wasn't just his vertical or his hands. It was the "competitive mentality" that scouts like Barton Simmons were raving about back in 2015.
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He wasn't a "burner" in the sense that he had Olympic track speed, but he played the game with a physical violence that receivers rarely have. He treated every jump ball like a rebound in basketball—it was his, and you weren't getting it.
Why His High School Career Still Matters
- Versatility: Playing center field in baseball helped his ball-tracking skills as a receiver.
- Physicality: He developed his signature "run after catch" (YAC) style while breaking tackles in the Mississippi 6A division.
- Pressure: Carrying a powerhouse like Starkville to a state title prepared him for the bright lights of the NFL.
Lessons from AJ Brown’s Path
If you’re a young athlete or a coach, there is a lot to learn from how Brown handled his time at Starkville. He didn't specialize early. He didn't quit baseball to focus on football, even when the pressure was high. He used the skills from one sport to complement the other.
Actionable Insights for Student-Athletes:
- Don't ignore the weight room: Brown’s physicality was his biggest advantage. Even in high school, he looked like a pro.
- Multi-sport benefits: Baseball improved his hand-eye coordination and his ability to "read the ball in the air," which is now his bread and butter in the NFL.
- Handle the noise: Choosing a college is a personal decision. Brown did what was best for him, regardless of local expectations.
If you want to understand why AJ Brown is currently one of the most dominant forces in professional football, you have to look back at the Yellowjackets' field in Mississippi. That’s where the "Swole Batman" persona was actually born.
To truly appreciate his journey, take a look at his high school highlight reels from 2015. You’ll see the exact same player we see on Sundays—just wearing a different shade of yellow and black.