There were three NFL playoff games Sunday, and yet no one was a bigger winner than author Jim Murphy.
Following a disappointing offensive series for the Eagles, Philadelphia wide receiver A.J. Brown was seen on the sidelines reading Murphy's book “Inner Excellence: Train Your Mind for Extraordinary Performance and the Best Possible Life.”
“My teammates call it ‘the recipe,’” the wideout told reporters after Philadelphia’s 22-10 victory over Green Bay. “It’s got a lot of points in there. It’s a lot of mental game, a lot of mental parts about it, and you know for me this game is mental.”
"This game is 90% mental and 10% physical for me," Brown later added via X. "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. People tend to create controversy when they don’t know the truth."
AJ Brown is reading a book on the sideline? ????????
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) January 13, 2025
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During the FOX broadcast, though, announcers Kevin Burkhardt and Tom Brady were attempting to determine what Brown was reading, before finally getting the answer and sending that message to the audience of millions watching.
It made a huge impact.
Before Sunday's game, the book was No. 552,709 on Amazon's best sellers list, according to public data.
By Monday morning, it was No. 1.
Reviews from Eagles fans litter the book's Amazon page:
_"A.J. Brown recommended this book, so I'm looking forward to reading this. Fly Eagles Fly."
"Grabbing this book. I will read it on the flight to the Super Bowl, possibly while at the Super Bowl."
"Excellent reading for when you're feeling frustrated on the sideline when you know your potential for a game changing performance. Highly recommend."_
Data suggests the book will be much more of a collectible than used for actual reading. While ranking No. 1 on the Amazon list, it still ranks in the bottom 100 of Kindle reads.
Nonetheless, the attention has been a whirlwind for Murphy, a former MLB prospect turned motivational speaker.
Murphy told Sports Illustrated that after publishing the book in 2020, he actually wound up more than $90,000 in debt before a slew of professional athletes and CEOs began catching wind of his book.
The author told SI he does not yet have a relationship with Brown, but will certainly be reaching out.
"It’s really an honor to be a part of his life and to have a meaningful place in anyone’s life.”
Matt Liberman is a reporter and video producer for cllct.