Author of Viral Book AJ Brown Read During the Eagles Game Calls Overnight Success ‘A Real Gift’
The Philadelphia Eagles player was seen reading Jim Murphy’s self-help book ‘Inner Excellence’ during a game on Jan. 12
Author Jim Murphy wasn’t expecting the overnight success of his 2020 self-help book, Inner Excellence, but it became a viral hit thanks to Philadelphia Eagles receiver AJ Brown.
The athlete, 27, went viral earlier this week when he was seen paging through Inner Excellence on the sidelines of the Jan. 12 NFL game against the Green Bay Packers. By Jan. 13, the book had skyrocketed to the top of the Amazon bestsellers' list.
“It is amazing and a real gift and an honor,” Murphy said in an interview with the TODAY Show on Jan. 15.
Inner Excellence is a guidebook that provides tips on how to overcome mental blocks and anxiety to find “a life of purpose and fulfillment,” per the book’s official synopsis.
Murphy, a performance coach and former minor league baseball player with the Chicago Cubs, wrote the book alongside athletes and with athletes in mind, though the tips in Inner Excellence are applicable to anyone.
“It’s an honor that anyone would include me in their life, but I think the greatest gift that anyone can have is wisdom to know who God is there for, who you are, what he’s doing in the world and how you can join in, and how you can live a life where you feel fully alive,” the author said.
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Brown has spoken about how his teammates have started referring to the book as “The Recipe.” The athlete also posted photos of the book to social media, including passages that he highlighted.
“This game is 90% mental and 10% physical for me,” Brown wrote in the 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.”
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When asked how Inner Excellence translates to the competitiveness of sports, Murphy said that the book is a nod to the power of teamwork.
“There’s so much out of your control, and the team aspect is such a big thing because we’re created for relationship and that love is a relationship and there’s no fear in love,” Murphy said. “When you can play fearlessly and have no concern for self, then anything is possible, for the Eagles and anybody.”
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