Amon-Ra St. Brown naturally did not want to be drafted by the Lions in 2021, but it has worked out quite well.
The day after news broke about his impending contract, which will make him the highest-paid wide receiver in the NFL based on per-year average in new money, Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown participated in a couple of events in the hours leading up to the draft on Thursday night.
He distributed free pizzas from Little Caesar’s and later spoke at an event associated with USAA. St. Brown mentioned that he would officially sign his new deal in a few hours, noting that it took about three months to finalize the agreement. Standing next to the Little Caesar’s truck, he reiterated his commitment to pushing himself even harder now that he’s received his payout.
St. Brown’s draft experience in 2021 is widely known. Despite being the 17th wide receiver selected, he carries a chip on his shoulder and has surpassed the production of many of the 16 receivers drafted before him.
While St. Brown clearly didn’t anticipate falling to Day 3 of the draft, he did have a preference when he did.
Amon-Ra St. Brown did not want the Lions to draft him, but he’s grateful it worked out the way it did
St. Brown recounted the moments leading up to when the Lions called him on Day 3 of the 2021 draft, sharing his initial thoughts and eventual acceptance of the situation.
“On Day three, I’m getting ready, heading back to the house where we were having the party. At that time, my brother (Equanimeous) was playing for the Packers,” St. Brown explained. “So I thought to myself, ‘It would be pretty cool if the Packers called me and I ended up playing for them. Playing alongside you, Aaron Rodgers, Davante Adams.’ I knew I’d learn a lot. I even told my brother, ‘The one team I hope doesn’t call me is Detroit.'”
“I’m sitting there, and then pretty early on, my phone rings,” St. Brown continued. “I answer it, and I see a 313 area code, Detroit, Michigan, at the top. I’m thinking, ‘What the heck.’ But you know what? I wouldn’t change it for anything. I’m grateful for how things unfolded.”