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Nick Sirianni honors A.J. Brown's high school football roots after Super Bowl LIX victory

Lawrence Andrew Fernandezby: Lawrence Fernandez02/13/25lawandfern
Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell (left) and Philadelphia Eagles coach Nick Sirianni pose with the Vince Lombardi trophy at the Super Bowl LIX Winning Head Coach and Most Valuable Player press conference at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. (© Kirby Lee-Imagn Images)

While Nick Sirianni guided the Philadelphia Eagles to victory in Super Bowl LIX, he particularly honored wideout A.J. Brown postgame. Sirianni wore Brown’s high school football jersey during the press conference after the Eagles defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 40-22. It’s an interesting choice, considering they had a heated sideline exchange during that game.

Brown played high school football for the Starkville Yellowjackets, the team that finished eighth in the Mississippi On3 Composite Team Rankings for 2024. The Mississippi native finished that year with 52 receptions for 1,019 yards and 16 touchdowns.

A year later, Brown compiled 83 catches for 1,371 yards and 13 touchdowns and led Starkville to a state championship. In addition to dominating Class 6A, he also received personal accolades like a First-Team All-State selection by USA Today.

Nick Sirianni’s primary wideout also played high school baseball. Brown was an excellent two-sport athlete, as proven by his stint in the Under Armour All-America Baseball Game. He and Kyler Murray are the only athletes to have played in Under Armour’s baseball and football invitationals.

After playing in Starkville, going to Ole Miss was an easy choice for A.J. Brown. His two First-Team All-SEC honors were enough for the Tennessee Titans to select him in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft.

However, Brown became an elite wide receiver when he was traded to the Eagles. Philadelphia’s $100 million investment on him is worth every penny, as shown by his three Second-Team All-Pro selections.

During Super Bowl LIX, Brown caught a 12-yard touchdown pass from Jalen Hurts that stretched Philadelphia’s lead 23-0. Brown finished the game with 43 receiving yards and had nine touchdowns for the season (including playoffs).

Meanwhile, Sirianni played high school football at Southwestern Central, wherein his father, Fran, was the head coach. The Super Bowl-winning coach also a wide receiver for the Mount Union Purple Raiders in Alliance, Ohio. He was a part of three NCAA Division III National Championship teams and had 13 touchdowns in his senior year.

Ironically, Nick Sirianni started his NFL coaching career as an offensive quality control coach for the Chiefs in 2009. He also coached for the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers and the Indianapolis Colts before joining the Eagles in 2021.