Eagles WR A.J. Brown: Falcons in 'Good Hands' with Arthur Smith

Before the Super Bowl this weekend, Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown had some nice things to say about Atlanta Falcons head coach Arthur Smith. Brown was coached by Smith for two seasons with the Tennessee Titans.

Jeremy Brener | Feb 9, 2023

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Atlanta Falcons

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown is about to play the biggest game of his life Sunday in Super Bowl LVII.

Brown, a fourth-year wideout out of Ole Miss, has blossomed into one of the league's best receivers in a short amount of time. Part of his development from second-round pick to superstar came from the help of one coach in particular ... Arthur Smith.

Smith coached Brown with the Titans from 2019-20 before accepting the head coaching position with the Atlanta Falcons.

"He put me in the right direction, really giving me opportunities and [teaching] me as a player," Brown told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "He's a great guy most importantly. He's a great leader. So, I think Atlanta is in really good hands."

Brown caught for over 1,000 yards in both seasons with Smith on the Titans coaching staff. When Smith left, Brown's numbers took a dip, posting just 869 yards in 13 games in 2021.

Now with the Eagles, Brown has played his best football, catching for 1,496 yards. Only Justin Jefferson (Minnesota Vikings), Tyreek Hill (Miami Dolphins) and Davante Adams (Las Vegas Raiders) had more yards.

While the Falcons haven't had a receiver of Brown's caliber in the building since Smith took over, there's hope that his success can translate to someone like Drake London or Kyle Pitts and that Atlanta is on the right track.

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Published Feb 9, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.