In a couple months last year, Amon-Ra St. Brown went from an unheralded fourth-round draft pick to the bright spot of the Lions' season.
"No one on the Lions really knew who I was," St. Brown wrote in a recent story for ESPN. "Yeah, they drafted me, so obviously they did their research, but they didn’t know who I really was, what I’m about, how I play and my intensity, so that was my mindset coming into training camp. Obviously, the draft ... already fueled me enough by being picked in the fourth round. Then, once they understood, it was time for me to really just perfect my craft and hone in on my skills."
He did that by racking up 51 catches over the final six weeks of the season, second to only Offensive Player of the Year Cooper Kupp. Over the same stretch, St. Brown was third among NFL receivers in yards (560) and tied for third in touchdowns (5). It was a dynamic finish to a historic rookie season for the 112th overall pick, who doesn't "have anything to say about the people who may feel like my rookie season was a fluke."
"All I can do is try to prove them wrong," said St. Brown. "For me, I’m not really worried about other people. I’m worried about myself, the team and what I know I can do."
Already, St. Brown is thinking long-term about his future with the Lions. He said "it's a lifetime goal of mine" to be a franchise centerpiece for the team that drafted him.
"That would be awesome if I can stay in Detroit my whole career and be that centerpiece," he said. "It’s a lot of great Hall of Famers like Calvin Johnson, Barry Sanders and Matthew Stafford. Even in basketball, you look at Ben Wallace and guys like that where the city of Detroit loves them. I think Detroit has a fan base that is really loyal, that loves their guys. It’s tough to find nowadays especially living out in Los Angeles and being where I’m from; for a lot of these fans, if the team is not winning they’re not really caring ... but in Detroit, they’re there every week. I really love the fans in Detroit. They’re awesome, but to be a centerpiece like that would definitely be a lifetime goal of mine."
He shouldn't have a problem if he keeps producing like he did last season. He's already a favorite of the Lions current regime led by GM Brad Holmes, who drafted St. Brown in no small part because of his competitive makeup. St. Brown rewarded Holmes' faith; in time, Holmes might be rewarding St. Brown with a long-term deal.
That won't be for a couple more years. For now, St. Brown is focused on taking the next step, and helping the rebuilding Lions do the same.
"(Last season) was a steady upward climb for me, but now, for me, it’s starting to become a leader," he said. "I want to help the younger guys moving forward, with those that we draft. I feel like we’ve got a really young team with a lot of young talented players. I feel like we’ve got a shot to do something if we can just all come together and be one and really have each other’s back, we’ll be pretty good moving forward."