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While all eyes were on Taylor & Travis last year, this time, there’s a new viral moment capturing everyone’s attention heading into Super Bowl weekend—and it involves an NFL star, a self-help read, and what might be the most wholesome sideline activity we’ve ever seen courtesy of AJ Brown‘s Inner Excellence book.
Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver AJ Brown’s pregame ritual isn’t what you’d typically expect from an NFL player. Instead of blasting music through headphones or pacing the sidelines, Brown finds his zone by diving into Inner Excellence
, a self-help book by Jim Murphy that’s suddenly become the must-read book of the NFL season.
The Eagles star first made headlines when cameras caught him reading the book during January’s wild-card game against the Green Bay Packers. What happened next was nothing short of extraordinary: Murphy’s Inner Excellence
book skyrocketed from Amazon’s 523,497th position to claiming the number one spot on the bestseller list, with a mind-boggling sales increase of 53,273,200 percent—yes, you read that number right!
“I was not expecting that. A real gift,” Murphy told The Associated Press on January 13, 2025, clearly taken aback by his book’s sudden surge in popularity. “I just looked at Amazon last night and it got to No. 1, so that was a surprise. It had probably never been higher than probably 8 or 9,000.”
So what’s got this Pro Bowl wide receiver reaching for a book instead of an energy drink during games? Well, Inner Excellence
is one of Brown’s secret weapons for staying cool under pressure. “This game is 90% mental and 10% physical for me,” Brown shared in a social media post. “I bring it to every game and I read it between each drive. I use it to refocus and lock in despite what may transpire in the game good or bad.”
The timing couldn’t be more perfect as the Eagles prepare to face the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX. The team even dropped a hype video featuring Brown’s now-famous sideline reading sessions—because apparently, the secret to football greatness might just be in your local bookstore.
When some speculated that Brown turned to the book out of frustration during a game where he had just one reception, he quickly shut down that narrative with refreshing honesty: “I wasn’t frustrated at all. I figured that’s what y’all probably thought,” Brown told ESPN’s Tim McManus. “Why do you always think I be frustrated? Dang. I like to read!”
As Super Bowl Sunday approaches, it seems Eagles Nation isn’t just rallying behind their team—they’re racing to bookstores to discover their own, ahem, Inner Excellence. And while Murphy might have historically been a Seahawks fan, he’s made it clear where his loyalties lie: “Now, it’s the Eagles.”
If you want to channel your own inner champion (or just find out what has Eagles Nation so captivated), you can grab your own copy of Inner Excellence
right here
. Drawing from over six years of research and his own experience as a former Chicago Cubs player, Murphy teaches readers how to overcome anxiety, break through mental blocks, and perform under pressure—whether you’re catching passes in the NFL or juggling life as a busy parent. Through practical exercises and mental techniques, the book shows you how to develop self-mastery, let go of what you can’t control, and find purpose beyond just chasing happiness. Hey, if it’s good enough for the NFL sidelines, it might just be the mindset refresh you’ve been looking for!