Amon-Ra St. Brown is third on the Detroit Lions with 24 catches for 204 yards through six games. A fourth-round pick out of USC, he stopped to answer five questions for the Free Press this week.
You grew up in the Los Angeles area. You went to USC. You play Sunday in L.A. against the Rams, so what’s your best celebrity story, sighting or interaction from your time there?
I would say two related to football. My first day when I reported to USC, Julio Jones and Terrell Owens were working out at SC. So I got my cleats, a couple other guys got their cleats and I was able to work with Julio (Jones) and Terrell (Owens). And it was awesome. Julio was — this was like four years ago, I think after the Super Bowl or something like that, so he was insane. He still is insane. But to watch him run routes and do the things he did was awesome.
And then another football one was, this is like my sophomore year, this is when Odell (Beckham Jr.) went to the Browns. He was working out at SC-Baker (Mayfield), David Njoku, a bunch of the Browns, then A.B. (Antonio Brown) came after, so to have all those guys at the same spot, being a receiver, getting to see them work, that was dope.
You and your bothers all have very unique names, something your father wanted. Have you picked out names for your kids yet? And if so, do you intend to go that route or something like John?
No, for sure not going John. It definitely has to be something, the word I would use is exotic. A name that probably no one has or very few people have. And I believe, like my dad says, I believe in the power of names. I think it starts when you introduce yourself. You introduce yourself as your name, so I think names have a lot of power. So, no, definitely no John. No disrespect to my dad, his name is John; any Johns. But can’t do the regular John, so it’s definitely got to be something different.
Do you know what they are yet?
Not yet. I don’t know yet. Still got to think.
If you could have one super power, what would it be and why?
I feel like flying. Being able to fly at fast speeds. That or teleport. I could teleport to here or wherever I want back in a matter of seconds. So those two are definitely ones that I think you can’t beat, being able to travel that past or just snap your finger and be something else.
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This one has been in the news of late because Adele said she’d pick McDonald’s for her death row meal. So you have one meal left, what are you eating?
So my drink is sweet tea. Definitely need some sweet tea. My meal, oh, I love me a burger and some nice fries so my top burger joint, I don’t know if you guys have heard of In-N-Out. Have you heard of that? Either In-N-Out burger with their fries, a Five Guys burger with their fries, or a Shake Shack burger with their fries.
You’re keeping it simple, huh? Nothing fancy, no home-cooked meal, no steak, nothing.
No.
Why is that your go-to?
I don’t know. I just feel like, In-N-Out is huge in California, so that’s the spot we always go to. But I feel like just burgers, they’re so simple but you can make them in so many different ways and they taste different. The bun, the meat, the tomato, the lettuce, the pickles. Everything is different.
So do you go animal style at In-N-Out?
Sometimes. It depends on my mood.
Last one. When we talk about receivers, we usually talking about their pass-catching exploits. You’re known as a really good blocker, too. So tell me your favorite block.
This year?
Could be any time. Your favorite block.
I would say in college was against ASU (Arizona State). It was actually, the funny part was it was a pass play, but I actually blocked him and I got a pancake. That was my first game last year, my junior year.
And then this year I would say this year against the Bears, I had two pancakes on one play. I pancaked him, he got up, pancaked him again.
How much pride do you take in that versus catching a touchdown or making big plays in the pass game?
It’s huge. I think the block sets up the pass, especially in play-action pass, so that’s huge. And then for the run game, running back, they can make a linebacker miss but it’s usually that second level that always makes the tackle so if we can help the running backs bust, it’s huge.
Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.