Amon Ra St. Brown Is Building a Lasting NFL Legacy With Impressive Streak

Since being drafted by the Detroit Lions, former USC Trojans wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown has proven himself to be one of the best receivers in the NFL, and the numbers back it up.

Nov 16, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (14) during warmups against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Despite the Detroit Lions falling just short of reaching the NFL playoffs this season, former USC Trojans wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown had another phenomenal season. In the Lions' 19-16 regular-season road finale win against their bitter NFC North rival, the Chicago Bears, on Sunday, St. Brown recorded 11 receptions for 139 yards with 109 of those yards coming in the first half against the Bears. 

With the Lions' 2025 season officially in the books, St. Brown has recorded his third straight season with 100-plus catches, 1,200 or more receiving yards, and 10-plus touchdowns. St. Brown finishes his fifth season in the NFL ranked at No. 5 in receiving with 117 receptions, 1,401 yards, and 11 touchdowns. 

Jan 4, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (14) runs with the ball against Chicago Bears safety Jaquan Brisker (9) during the first half at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images | Matt Marton-Imagn Images

Amon-Ra St. Brown's Motivation For His NFL Career

St. Brown, who came into the NFL overlooked by many out of USC as a fourth-round selection in the 2021 NFL Draft, continues to make his mark as one of the top wide receiver talents in the NFL. While being overlooked entering the league, St. Brown kept track of all 16 wide receivers selected before him in the 2021 NFL Draft as motivation for his career.

With another 1,000-yard receiving season added to St. Brown’s career, that fuel of motivation seems to be paying off for the former USC wide receiver. 

St. Brown is chasing down Trojans legends and NFL greats, wide receivers Keyshawn Johnshon and Lynn Swann. St. Brown already has more NFL career receiving yards than Swann, and he's on pace to pass Johnson as well in a few seasons.

Dec 14, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (14) celebrates after a touchdown during the second quarter against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

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St. Brown is one of the several former Trojans wide receivers who have had success in the NFL. Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Drake London, Indianapolis Colts’ Michael Pittman Jr., Kansas City Chiefs JuJu Smith-Schuster, Minnesota Vikings Jordan Addison, and Miami Dolphins Tahj Washington are among the other USC wide receivers who have had success in their NFL careers. 

How St. Brown's USC Career Has Led To NFL Success

Dec 18, 2020; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (8) scores on a 47-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter against the Oregon Ducks during the Pac-12 Championship at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

With so much talent at the wide receiver position from the Trojans in the NFL, many consider USC to be one of the top teams considered as “Wide Receiver U,” and St. Brown’s performances have made a strong case for that argument. Ohio State, LSU, and Alabama are the other schools, in addition to USC, that have produced the best talent at wide receiver in the NFL.

The development St. Brown experienced under former Trojans coach Clay Helton at USC contributed to his success at the NFL level. In his three seasons at USC, St. Brown recorded 178 receptions for 2,270 yards and 16 touchdowns, earning multiple Pac-12 team honors. 

Now in the NFL with the Lions, that development under Helton has translated to success as St. Brown has been selected to the Pro Bowl four times, including this season. While many Lions fans are disappointed with how Detroit’s season panned out in 2025, having St. Brown continue to be an impact on offense will make them a playoff contender for the coming years.