Amon-Ra St. Brown Gets Little 'Cranky' Without Favorite Beverage

Amon-Ra. St. Brown discusses impact of Ben Johnson, rookie hazing.

Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (14) high-fives fans celebrates 34-17 win over Chicago Bears as he exits the field at Soldier Field in Chicago, Ill. on Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Detroit Lions rookie Isaac TeSlaa is also going through growing pains off the field.

As is customary in the NFL, rookies must stock the meeting room with snacks, as teammates spend hours and hours going over film and preparing for their opponents.

TeSlaa, who was drafted in the third-round, tried to DoorDash a vast candy order, which did not sit well with Amon-Ra St. Brown.

St. Brown told reporters, "I said, 'Nah, nah, nah. Ain't no DoorDash, you gotta go pick it up.'"

TeSlaa also has to make sure that St. Brown has his sweet tea, a beverage that is the favorite of the former 2021 fourth-round pick.

"Saint loves the sweet tea, so when he doesn't have the sweet tea he gets a little cranky," TeSlaa said. "So I gotta make sure I'm on top of that."

Even though the receivers room is stocked with candy, TeSlaa is following a stricter diet and avoids snacking too much.

Impact of Ben Johnson

Amon-Ra St. Brown has developed into one of the premier pass-catchers in the NFL, and he doesn’t hesitate to credit former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson for playing a significant role in his success.

Johnson, now the head coach of the Chicago Bears, spent three years (2022-2024) guiding Detroit’s offense and helping maximize St. Brown’s skill set. And the results speak for themselves. 

Just a season ago with Johnson calling the plays, St. Brown amassed 115 catches for 1,263 yards and 12 touchdowns in 17 games. He was selected to play in his third Pro Bowl, and was named first-team All-Pro for the second consecutive season.

For St. Brown, the connection to Johnson goes beyond the numbers, too. 

“I love Ben, man,” St. Brown told reporters Thursday. “I’ll never really have anything bad to say about him, just because of what he did for me as a player, what he did for this team. I remember when I first got here as a rookie, he was the tight ends coach, then they promoted him to pass game coordinator my rookie year and then he was offensive coordinator. And I feel like ever since he stepped in that role, I got more catches, more opportunities. He believed in me, trusted in me. So, just seeing the work ethic that he had, I respect him as a coach, as a man.”

That trust allowed St. Brown to flourish. Known for his top-notch route-running and relentless motor, he became Jared Goff’s most reliable target and the heartbeat of Detroit’s passing attack. 

Johnson’s ability to scheme around St. Brown’s strengths – finding creative ways to get him the ball in space – cemented his status as one of the league’s very best receivers.

Now, with Johnson leading a divisional rival of St. Brown and the Lions, the fifth-year wideout admits it will be strange to see him on the opposite sideline.

Dan Campbell’s squad hosts the Bears this Sunday in its home opener, and while St. Brown plans to exchange pleasantries with Johnson before the divisional tilt, his competitive edge will remain intact.

“I love Ben, but there’s two games out of the year where I want him to fail,” the USC product conveyed.

The Week 2 matchup also carries extra weight for the Lions after a disappointing season-opening loss to the Green Bay Packers. 

St. Brown admitted the defeat served as a wake-up call for the locker room. 

“After taking a loss like we did last week, I think, it kind of woke guys up, I think everyone in this building,” the All-Pro receiver expressed. “So, I think we needed that. So, I think guys are excited, we’re fired up. Out on the practice field, I think guys are going a little extra harder than they were before. So, I think it was good for us. This game’s going to be big for us.”