STARKVILLE — A.J. Brown has every reason to flaunt his athletic ability, but he doesn’t.
As the best wide receiver in the state of Mississippi, the Starkville High School senior is one of the top prospects in the Class of 2016.
But you wouldn’t know it talking to him.
Brown demonstrated that humility Wednesday, as he thanked God, his family, his teammates, and his coaches after he received his honorary jersey for the Under Armour All-America Game on Jan. 2 in Orlando, Florida.
“My father always told me to stay humble and keep working no matter what because it can all be over in any second,” Brown said. “I’m just going to worship God, keep going forward, and keep working hard.”
Brown will be the second athlete to play in the Under Armour baseball and football games. He played in the baseball game in August.
Brown also will play in the Mississippi/Alabama All-Star game in December in Hattiesburg. He will be joined by teammate Kobe Jones, who received his jersey for the Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl last week.
Brown had several family members in attendance, including his father, Arthur, who couldn’t hide his smile as he talked about his son and how he has handled the hype surrounding him.
“He has done a wonderful job,” Arthur said. “Being 18 years old, I think he really wore a big hat. He did everything we pretty much asked of him.”
A.J. Brown has been a big reason why Starkville is 7-1 and 4-0 in Mississippi High School Activities Association Class 6A, Region 2 play this season. He has a team-high 52 catches for 781 yards and seven touchdowns.
Brown started to get noticed as a junior after making 60 catches for 1,125 yards and a team-high 17 touchdowns.
Before Ricky Woods applied for the job as Starkville High football coach, he watched the team’s spring game and came away knowing Brown is a special player.
“He’s a humble guy,” Woods said. “He’s got a lot of God-given talent, and he works hard to improve as much as he can to up his ability level. He practices hard. All the kids like him, the coaches like him, and I like him. He’s just a good person.”
Woods said Brown’s humility could help him have a lot of success in college and in the NFL. Brown has several Division I scholarship offers, including Mississippi State, Ole Miss, and Alabama, but he hasn’t made a decision. He wants to play football and baseball at the next level.
But Brown has put his recruitment on hold. His father told him he gets to enjoy his senior year once, so Brown has tried to follow his father’s advice.
“I’m not trying to focus on where I’m going to go because I’m going to have time for that,” Brown said. “I’m just trying to get a ring.”
Starkville, which already has wrapped up a playoff spot, will take on Jackson Murrah at 7 p.m. Friday. Games against Warren Central and Clinton will determine the playoff seeding for teams in Region 2.
After the baseball Under Armour game, Brown knew where he stood with the best baseball players in the country. He’s excited to find out where he stands in football.
“It’s a huge honor playing against the top guys in the nation,” Brown said. “I want to see where I’m at mentally and physically going against those guys. I’m just going to try to make the best of it.
“That’s going to give me a lot more confidence going into my career wherever I decide to go. At the end of the day, I’ve got to still keep working.”
Last week, Brown had seven catches for 125 yards and two touchdowns in a victory against Madison Central.
“I think A.J.’s been in his stride. He’s a great player, and he’s one of the greatest receivers I’ve been around,” Woods said.
Follow Dispatch sports writer Ben Wait on Twitter @bcwait
Ben Wait reports on Mississippi State University sports for The Dispatch.
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