Seattle Seahawks DK Metcalf Praises Philadelphia Eagles A.J. Brown: ‘Ultimate Competitor’

Once high-school rivals, Seattle Seahawks receiver Dk Metcalf and Philadelphia Eagles wideout A.J. Brown maintain a strong relationship, forged during their days as teammates at Ole Miss.

As the Seattle Seahawks prepare for their Week 15 showdown with the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday night at Lumen Field, receiver DK Metcalf is looking forward to a bit of familiar, yet friendly competition.

Not only are Metcalf and Eagles star wideout A.J. Brown two of the most exciting receivers in the NFL, they were also college teammates — as well as roommates — at Ole Miss from 2016-18. As such, the talented pair formed one of the most fearsome pass-catching tandems in the nation. They also forged an indelible bond based on friendship and respect. 

For Metcalf, the camaraderie he shares with Brown continues to motivate him each time he steps on the field. In fact, the relationship — which began as a high-school rivalry — instilled in Metcalf the determination and strong work ethic he exhibits to this day. 

“Just from our time at Ole Miss we knew we we’re only going to be there for ‘x’ amount of years and we knew what we had to do to get there,” Metcalf recalled while speaking with reporters on Thursday. “We just had to outwork everybody and that’s just what we did from day one. We didn’t like each other coming out of high school because we always played against each other, but then we got to Ole Miss together, we knew we were going to be a tandem to be dealt with. I needed him and he needed me, and we put our differences aside and started working together.” 

DK Metcalf / USA TODAY

While the duo went their separate ways during the 2019 NFL Draft, both Metcalf and Brown continue to set the bar for each other when it comes to performance on the field. Through 12 games this season, the Seahawks second-round selection (No. 64 overall) has compiled 864 yards on 51 catches with seven touchdowns. Not to be outdone, Brown (chosen with pick No. 51 by the Tennessee Titans in 2019) has caught 90 passes for 1258 yards and seven touchdowns. Despite similarities in their skill set, Metcalf revealed which of Brown’s attributes he most admires — and covets. 

“Well he was always better route runner than me and he always caught the ball naturally,” Metcalf said of Brown. “That’s something I always tried to do better than him, I always admired how he did that. I just tried to copy him and do everything that he did but put my own spin on it.”

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Accordingly, both Metcalf and Brown will be doing their utmost to being their respective teams to victory in Week 15. Still, Brown’s presence on the opposing sideline will draw his attention for numerous reasons. Though he may want to win this game as much as his former college teammate, he is grateful for the lessons he learned from his good friend and amicable rival. 

“A.J. is the ultimate competitor, one of my good friends and I definitely would not be in front of you all today if he wasn’t my teammate. Just hats off to him and congratulations to everything he’s done since he’s got in the league.” 

The Seahawks and Eagles are set for an 5:15 p.m. PT (8:15 p.m. ET) kickoff from Lumen Field on Monday night.