From the beaches of Orange County to becoming one of the NFL’s most dynamic young receivers, Amon-Ra St. Brown has built his career on discipline, energy, and an unwavering drive to improve. Now entering his fifth season, the Detroit Lions star is methodical in preparation, relentless in competition, and fueled by the mindset that nothing is given, only earned. His rise mirrors Detroit’s own football resurgence, where a once-struggling franchise has transformed into a contender, and where St. Brown has become a cornerstone of the city’s hope and pride.
That same spirit has shaped the partnerships he chooses, including now officially “getting his wings” with Red Bull, a connection that embodies both performance and his European roots. With family ties to Germany and Red Bull’s Austrian base, the collaboration carries a personal resonance, grounding him in a global community that reflects the same energy and drive he brings to the field.
Off the field, St. Brown is guided by the rituals and inspirations that fuel his pursuit of greatness: the notebook of goals he sets before each season, the creativity he pours into touchdown celebrations, and the “Mamba Mentality” instilled by his biggest inspiration, Kobe Bryant. For St. Brown, every season is another chance to raise the bar: for himself, his teammates, and the fans who ride with him every step of the way.
Our conversation ahead of the 2025-2026 season, lightly edited and condensed for clarity, is below.
You have officially gotten your wings. Can you share what that means to you?
It means a lot. I’ve been a fan ever since I was a kid, so being partnered with them now is really special to me. When I think of Red Bull, I think of performance, energy, and—personally—togetherness.
When I think of Red Bull, my mind instantly goes to the wild adventure sports the brand is affiliated with. If you were to pursue one of those, what do you think it would be and why?
If I were to pursue one, it would probably be snowboarding. When I was a kid, my two brothers and I would drive an hour and a half, sometimes two hours, to the mountains to go skiing. As we got older, we transitioned into snowboarding. It’s definitely a challenge, but I love it—the adrenaline I get from snowboarding is unmatched, and I just enjoy that feeling.
What does it mean to grow with Red Bull as an athlete?
To me, growth with Red Bull means being part of something bigger than football. Red Bull is involved in so many different sports—what I’d call the more exotic ones—and being able to connect with those athletes and be part of that family is special. I’m half German, and with Red Bull being based in Austria, there’s also a European connection that makes it mean even more to me
Describe what mindset you have going into year five and what work have you done to this point to prepare yourself for this season?
Going into year five, I feel like I know what to expect. I understand what the season looks like—from training camp to preseason, the regular season, the playoffs, and the offseason. At this point, I’ve got my routine down. For me, it’s about staying on top of my training, recovery, and diet, then going out and performing—doing everything I can to help us win as many games as possible and make the playoffs. Once we get there, the goal is to finish the job and bring home a Super Bowl
How does it feel to be such a key piece of Detroit's resurgence as a football city?
It feels amazing. Detroit struggled for so long before I got here, and even in my first year we only won three games. To now be part of the turnaround means everything to me, and I know it does for the guys who’ve been in Detroit even longer. You can feel the city with you—you know the fans have been there all along. They’re just happy to finally see Detroit winning, and they’re so excited for us to start up again. They truly are the best fans in the world.
Who would you say the top three corners are you've had to go against and why?
I don’t really have a top three corners. There are a lot of good ones in this league, but it’s so up and down. If someone has a good year, people call him the best corner. If he has a down year, suddenly he’s out of the top 10. So I don’t have a top three—I just respect the game
How much do you spend on your body a year?
I don’t spend that much on my body. I feel like I’m still relatively young, which I’m fortunate for, and I haven’t had too many injuries, which I’m also grateful for. For me, the biggest thing is sleep—making sure I get enough every night and every week. Diet is huge too. Other than that, I wouldn’t say I spend a lot on my body.
What pregame superstitions or game day rituals do you have? Maybe from high school to college to now?
I don’t really have any pregame rituals, and I’m not too superstitious. The only thing I do is read my notebook, which has my goals and a few reminders written in it. I go through it before every game, and that’s about it.
How often do you write in your notebook?
I only write in my notebook once, before the season starts. I put everything down in it—my goals and reminders—and once that’s written, I might add one or two things during the year. But other than that, it’s pretty much set in stone.
Have you written it yet for this upcoming season?
Yeah, I have it. Everything's written out already.
Are you able to share anything you have written down?
I would love to share with you guys, but we know how you guys get. If I don't hit the numbers, it's going to be everywhere. So I'd rather share with you after the season,
How many goals do you have written down?
I have about, I would say four or five goals written down. The rest are just reminders for me every day when I get out there on the field or before the game.
If you could swap jerseys with one player after a game, who would it be and why?If I could swap jerseys with one player after a game, it would’ve been Tom Brady when I first came into the league. He’s retired now, so if you ask me today, that’s tough. I’d probably go with someone older who’s close to retiring. I’d take a Kelce jersey—Travis Kelce.
So you took some inspo from Jalen with your headstand celly that went viral. Can we expect to see it this season? Do you have any new celly’s ready for this season?
I’m the type of guy that likes to switch up the celebrations. My dad has told me numerous times, you got to do it again. I told him, ‘Pops, I can’t do it again.’ The headstand was a one-time thing. It already went viral, it’s already everywhere, and it’s never going to be as good as the first one. So the headstand, I think, is retired unless something happens. But for the most part, it’s retired. I try to come up with new celebrations every week or every time I score. That’s the goal—just try to switch it up and have fun.
What would have to happen for the headstand to come back?
I feel like for the headstand to come back, I’d have to involve other players—some of my teammates. Whether that’s all of us doing it at once or spelling something out, I don’t know, but it would have to be more than just me
And current music rotation, who are you listening to before you play each game? Does Detroit play a heavy influence on what you're listening to?
Not really. I feel like I listen to everything. I have a pretty wide range of music—whether it’s R&B, Afrobeats, rap, hip-hop, or pop.
What artists would you say are your top 5 right now?
I like Drake, I like Burna Boy, I like Kanye West, I like Chris Brown. And if I had to give you one more, I'm going to go with the goat, Michael Jackson.
And the ongoing debate of NFL jewelry versus rapper's jewelry is very popular. What do you make of that? What do you think? Who do you think has the better jewelry?
I’m not a big jewelry guy besides watches. I love watches, but other than that, I don’t really wear the chains with the pendants and all the ice. I feel like athletes just make ridiculous amounts of money. The contracts we sign are on another level. I don’t know how much rappers are making—I don’t want to be pocket-watching—but I just feel like athletes are loaded with money. Certain athletes can buy any chain or any jewelry they want. So I think it’s tough to compete as a rapper, although there are definitely some rappers who have a lot of ice. Again, I don’t know if it’s real or what goes into it. I’m not a big jewelry guy, but I just know it’s tough to compete when you’re talking about basketball players signing $70 million contracts a year.
Who has the best watches in the league?
I can only speak on what I’ve seen on social media, but I think Odell has a pretty good watch collection. Von Miller has a decent one too, and I’ve seen a few from Stefon Diggs. Some guys on my own team deserve a shoutout as well—Pat O’Connor, Jalen Reeves, Al-Quadin Muhammad, and D.J. Reader all have some nice pieces. I’m a big watch guy, so I definitely pay attention to that
Do you have a watch collection of your own?
I actually do. I have seven or eight watches. I own three Rolexes—a Daytona (the John Mayer), a Presidential Day-Date in rose gold, and a regular Day-Date. I also have a Cartier and three APs. That’s my collection right now
What's your dream watch?
My dream watch has always been the black ceramic AP Chrono. Hopefully, I can cop one soon. There are a lot of watches I like, but it’s a long game—you’ve got to play it slow. That’s what I like about it: you work your way up to certain watches and learn to respect the craft
And when it comes to your teammates, who do you think is the funniest in the locker room?
I would say I think David Montgomery is pretty funny. I enjoy his humor and I would say his humor is not very PG-13 rated. We do a lot of, or he has a lot of rated R content that I think is hilarious. I would love to share with you guys, but unfortunately I can't. we for sure got some characters on our team.
Who is your GOAT athlete?
Kobe Bryant. Kobe’s my GOAT because growing up in Orange County, the first basketball team I really watched was the Lakers. I fell in love with Kobe—his mindset, what he meant to the Lakers, his clutch gene. Watching those late games when they needed a bucket, it felt like he always came up big. The way he carried himself, the way he trained, the way he worked—everything about him inspired me. Kobe has always been my biggest inspiration
What does Mamba mentality mean to you?
To me, it’s about the way you think about the game, the way you approach it, and the way you train. It’s more than just what you do on the field, on the court, or in whatever sport you’re playing. It extends beyond the game—how you take care of your body, the actions you take, and the work you put in to get better. It’s about having that killer mindset. Kobe was out there to dominate—no jokes, no games. He didn’t care who you were; he was trying to drop 50. Watching him play, I was able to resonate with that mindset, and I feel like it’s something all of us strive for
Who do you have for Rookie of the Year, offense or defense?
That’s tough. I’d say Cam Ward or Ashton Jeanty, maybe T-Mac on the Panthers. Travis Hunter too, depending on how much he plays on both offense and defense. It’ll probably be one of those guys, but you never know—it could even be someone picked later.
As for Defensive Rookie of the Year, that’s a real toss-up. Usually it goes to either an edge rusher or a corner. Travis Hunter went early, and Abdul Carter with the Giants is another option. There are just so many possibilities. Honestly, this might be the hardest question you’ve asked me all day.
NFL Mount Rushmore?
NFL Mount Rushmore… I’ll go Tom Brady, Jerry Rice, Dion Sanders, and Aaron Donald.
Who do you think is the most underrated player in the NFL? Who doesn't get the flowers that they deserve?
I’m going to go with one of our guys. I think the most underrated player is David Montgomery. People know who David is — they know he’s a good back. But being with him every day, seeing the way he works, and watching what he’s able to do on the field, it’s clear how special he is. For his size — he’s about 230 — his feet are incredible, quick like a cat. He can run you over, juke, run routes, catch, block — he’s tough and really can do it all. To me, David Montgomery is one of the most underrated players in this league