Eagles’ A.J. Brown is the Super Bowl story he once dreamed of chasing as a sports journalist

NEW ORLEANS — Everyone in the class was assigned to write an autobiography, which would provide the professor with a writing sample and some background on her students as another semester began.

The introductory assignment was the perfect way for University of Mississippi professor Summer Hill-Vinson to meet the new crop of students in Journalism 102.

Introduction to Multimedia Writing was a class of mostly freshmen and sophomores receiving their first journalism experience before deciding if it was something they wanted to pursue. That initial assignment allowed Hill-Vinson to know in January 2017 how serious some of the students were.

And A.J. Brown — the Eagles star receiver who then was a freshman at Ole Miss — made it known in that first assignment that it was.

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“A.J. was very definite and clear about what he wanted to do with his career,” Hill-Vinson said. “It wasn’t just about football.”

Brown wrote that he wanted to reach the NFL and then become a sports broadcaster, chasing the type of story that he became this week at the Super Bowl.

Before he plays on Sunday, Brown spent the week fielding questions — some of which were bizarre — from reporters playing a role Brown once dreamed of.

The journalism career that seemed bright in Hill-Vinson’s class was paused later that year when Brown’s football career took off. He led the SEC in receiving yards in 2017 as a sophomore and clearly was headed to the NFL.

Brown didn’t have to cut a promo reel and find an entry-level TV job in a small market. But his college professor has no doubts that Brown could’ve landed a gig.

“He came in with a plan and knew what he wanted to do,” Hill-Vinson said. “I remember telling him ‘If this is what you want to do, you absolutely can. You’re completely capable.’ As the semester went on, it became even more obvious. This was one of those students who had a lot of potential and possibility ahead of him. Look, now he’s playing in the Super Bowl.”

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Brown said he decided to study journalism in college because his girlfriend at the time was a journalism major.

“I didn’t want to do my work,” Brown said.

But soon he began to enjoy it.

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“At first, I wanted to be on TV and be a sports broadcaster,” Brown said. “But as I get older, I just want to relax when I’m done. But I liked journalism. I enjoyed writing and stuff.”

Now on the other side, Brown never seemed to stumble this week during his interview sessions. He said last week that he felt like a paid actor in the days leading up to the team’s last Super Bowl as so much of the lead-up to the game was spent on media obligations.

This time, Brown was ready. He’s one of the game’s top wide receivers but he became an even bigger draw among curious reporters after he read a book last month on the sidelines. His interview podium each day at the team’s hotel was packed.

Reporters wanted to know how Brown would handle the Kansas City Chiefs’ man-to-man defense, what books he is reading, and if he has a favorite Kendrick Lamar song. They asked about his relationship with Jalen Hurts, his mental health, and what teammate would make the best hockey player.

Brown paused before answering questions, ignored some, and gave thoughtful answers when the query was serious.

“Every writer is going to hang on every word you say to get a headline,” Brown said last week. “Every media member is trying to get you on their show to talk about the game, talk about this and that. That only takes away from what’s important and that’s the game.”

» READ MORE: A.J. Brown felt like a ‘paid actor’ before the last Super Bowl. He’s prepared this time.

Brown’s relationship with reporters has not always been smooth. He didn’t speak last season for a few weeks when the season was falling apart and once called into WIP-FM to dispute a report during the station’s drive-time talk show. But this week, the former journalism student seemed to master the give-and-take.

“I’ve grown so much since I got here because of the Philly media,” Brown said, surrounded by a crowd of unfamiliar faces. “You guys are easy work compared to the Philly media. We just prepare for questions and try to stay clear of headlines.”

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It’s been nearly a decade since Brown took that first journalism class, but Hill-Vinson still remembers where he sat, which the professor said is a good indication of the impact he made.

“I like sports, and I follow sports,” Hill-Vinson said. “But when he was in my class, that’s not how I knew him or why he stood out.”

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Brown sat in the back of the class with a 7-foot basketball player from Poland, learning basic interview skills and reading the Associated Press Stylebook. A subject he studied simply so he could have someone else do his work soon became a passion.

“It was the things that you either have or you don’t have,” Hill-Vinson said. “He’s highly intelligent. That was obvious from the first two classes. He’s very hardworking, very focused, and very driven. There’s a lot of competition in journalism. To be that focused and driven at that young age stood out to me.”

This week, Brown was the story instead of the one chasing stories. His story is pretty good. He nearly played professional baseball, went to college, blossomed, and became an NFL draft pick. His NFL career has not always been easy — Brown speaks often about the mental challenges he’s faced — but he is now one of the league’s star players. On Sunday, he’ll try to win his first Super Bowl. If he does, a crowd of reporters will want to know how it feels. And the former journalism student will have the answers.

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“One of the most rewarding parts of being a teacher is being a part of their journey,” Hill-Vinson said. “Getting to see them mature, grow, go out into the world, and do really amazing things. His story is much easier to follow because it’s in the public.

“I remember saying to him, ‘This is absolutely possible,’ and I know he’s not done yet because he hasn’t fulfilled all the things he said he was going to do. So I’m excited to see what’s next for him. I’m not the only person who thinks that when he decides he’s done with the NFL, there will be other chapters.”