St. Brown: Lions will be ‘hungrier than ever’
Amon-Ra St. Brown talks to Chris Simms and Mike Florio about the Lions' disappointing season, why the team will be more motivated in 2026 and new offensive coordinator Drew Petzing.
Video Transcript
Here we are at San Francisco, Radio Row.
This is the day where things are hopping.
I think Thursday's become the biggest day of the week.
Thursday's the biggest day.
Right?
I think so, yeah, I would agree.
Well, it's even bigger for us now- I mean, especially this guy ... one of the greatest receivers in the NFL.
Yeah.
Lions receiver- Yeah ... Amon-Ra St. Brown.
You were talking to Jayden Daniels, and he said to me, "Man, you got some crazy takes."
He said that to me!
He said that to you?
He said I got some crazy takes.
Yeah.
He said that to you?
He said I got some crazy takes.
Well, well, I mean- We got some crazy bread- You, you do ... and some crazy takes.
Yeah, we're gonna get to the Caesar Caesar's football football, but you know, he's a big Vikings fan.
Really?
You know that, right?
I didn't know that.
So that's probably why he gives you crazy takes, 'cause you're- No, it has We were talking, we were talking about the Pro Bowl.
Oh, okay.
Okay.
We're talking about- That's the reason I saw.
I said, "Give me an example."
But that's good, 'cause he understands.
He's got a podcast.
We're making content.
Yeah.
Like, we're giving people stuff to talk about.
Right.
Well, the, the Pro Bowl, I mean, what could you have said that's that crazy about the Pro Bowl?
I, I said that it sucks and they should get rid of it.
The Pro Bowl sucks, right.
They gotta get rid of it.
See, he agrees.
It's, it's not what it used to be.
He wants the check.
Yeah, I don't think it is.
Yeah.
But, I mean, it's still, as a player, it's fun to be around the guys.
It's still, so yeah- It's still cool ...
I get that.
That part of it's good.
I get that.
But you know what they used to do in Hawaii?
I mean, the players really loved the thing, 'cause you get away from everybody.
Right.
You get away from the media, the fans aren't bothering you.
You're in Hawaii for a week.
Definitely.
They loved it in Hawaii.
You got Well, and back when my dad was playing, right?
Yeah.
When they If you won, you got 55,000.
If you lost, you got 30,000, but they were only making a few hundred thousand, right?
Right.
Yeah.
So that was like, "Oh, crap- Yeah ... we're gonna play," right?
Yeah.
You guys are swimming in it.
You're like, "55,000?
I don't give a damn about that."
Nah, I think the, the players still care, like, especially, like, third, fourth quarter, guys are like, "All right, we gotta win.
We gotta win this money."
It was like, it, it was fun.
All right, that's cool.
Yeah.
That's cool.
All right, well, take us through the year, right, with you guys.
Disappointing, you guys are still awesome- Uh-huh ... but, you know, what was your kind of assessment of why it didn't line up the right way for you?
I mean, that's a tough question.
I feel like it was a, a combination of a lot of things.
I think we, you know, a lot of games in the NFL are won by one score.
We all know that, and I feel like we lost a lot of one-score games that, in the past few years, we, we would've won.
Yeah.
And so those, you know, three, four, five games, you switch those around to wins than losses, you turn that into a win, you're probably in the playoffs.
Once you get in the playoffs, you never know what happens.
I mean, you look at the Panthers, no one would've thought they were gonna play the Rams that close.
They almost won.
So once you get in the playoffs, anything can happen.
And so for us, it was just a lot of things.
you know, I think playing complementary football was another big thing.
offense and defense playing well or playing decent enough to keep each other both in the game.
I feel like there was a few games where it would be one side like this, the other like that.
and so defense is playing amazing, lights out, and we're putting up nine points, or we're putting up, you know, so many points, and defense allows them So it's like, we had, we've had that going on.
but I think we still have a solid, amazing nucleus of, of players on our team, which gives us That, that Super Bowl window is still open for us.
I think when you have guys like guys that we have on our team, like Aidan, Jared, Jaymo, Jahmyr, Deemo, Laporta, Penei, Jack, Brian Branch, I can, I can go down the list- Yeah, you guys are stacked ... that opens up, and you have a coach like Dan Campbell, I think that allows you to w- you know, win that Super Bowl each and every year.
Did we make too much, though, like guys like me and him, of you guys losing Ben Johnson, right?
Like, tell us about that effect.
Yeah, I mean, Ben is a You guys also know what Ben did in Chicago.
Yeah.
He's an amazing coach.
he's, he's one of the best coaches that I've been around, i- in football.
He's smart, he's hardworking, all that good stuff.
So yeah, obviously you're gonna miss a good coach like that.
Yeah.
I think anytime you, you lose a guy like that, you're gonna miss him.
But I think at the end of the day, you know, the players make plays.
you can have the best coach with the worst players, and it's, not much is gonna happen.
You can have the best players with not the best coach, and they can make it look amazing.
So, I think we have, at the end of the day, we have the players that can make those plays.
And so, I'm, I'm excited for Drew Petzig.
I think it's gonna be good for us.
Yeah.
yeah, I can't wait.
How do you think it'll be different with him?
Yeah, that's a good question.
I don't know.
you know, I haven't been around him, just talked to him.
He called me after he got hired and just wanted to check in and, and say he's excited to get to work, and I told him likewise, and you know, small talk for three or four minutes, and I think he's talked more to Jared Goff, than, than he has to me.
So, you know, I talked to Jared at the Pro Bowl and whatnot, talked to Trey McBride.
He said he liked him.
Jared said he's gonna be good for us.
he's been talking about plays and whatnot already with him.
So, I think it's gonna be awesome.
I think we're gonna be hungrier than ever as a team, especially after what happened last year, and I think it's gonna be It's gonna be good for us to get back to OTAs, get back to training camp, get back to work, and, and get this thing going.
When Dan Campbell took over the play calling, how did that change things for you as the players?
How did you notice it?
Did it affect the practice week?
How did it affect the games?
Just like, how different is it when the head coach is calling the plays on offense?
Yeah, I don't think it, it didn't change much for us as players.
obviously, each coach, you know, when someone else is calling the plays, it's a different kind of style.
you kind of know what they, what they like, what they like to get to, things like that, things you can anticipate.
but I think, you know, we enjoyed it.
It was fun.
guys, you know, guys were getting the ball, balls being spread out.
you know, we've had, we had some, some high-scoring games with him calling plays.
Yeah.
so it was fun.
I think Dan, you know, Dan did a great job with the, with the situation given at hand.
so it, it was good.
You know, Dan actually called plays when I was I think that was my rookie year, so, you know, we had Aidan, ended up firing him, and then Dan called plays for the second half of the season.
Yeah.
That's really when I started getting the ball and, and, and making more plays.
So, it, it was fun.
Yeah, no, I mean, you guys are fun to watch.
and so, within that fun, okay, you and the duo, the duo receiver, you and Jameson Williams- Yep ...
I don't feel like you guys could be two more opposite people in the world.
You seem like you're all over every detail, and I know you're a psycho hard worker.
He seems like he just is like, "Let me go play and go around."
You probably watch your diet.
I've heard crazy stuff about stuff he eats.
So- I eat everything.
Tell us something about this crazy guy a little bit.
Jaymo's amazing.
Right.
I think, you know, the fans see one side of him.
I think he's, he's very light-hearted, like you said.
Right.
He's, he's, he's always having fun.
but he does, he knows when to take it serious and when to turn it on, and I think he's grown so much as a player from when he first got there, just- as, as a human being, you know, being around him- Yeah ... in the, in the locker room, in the meeting room, he's grown so much.
So it's been, you know, it's been amazing to be around him.
I'm glad I'm playing with him.
I wouldn't wanna be, you know, playing with any other receiver besides Jaylen.
I feel like we complement each other so well.
You really do.
Right.
I mean, not just him, all the receivers we have, but I think me and Jaylen, you know, like you said, we're, we're basically like opposites.
he's the go, go ball fast, I mean, one of the fastest guys that I've ever seen in my life.
Right, right.
being with him, I mean, safety just go running with him, and then it opens up the middle for me.
So it's amazing playing with him.
I'm, I'm excited that we'll be there for, you know, a lot more years to come.
Well, tell me about his diet and what he do.
I mean, first off, good job, I'm glad you got him to stop humping the ground for touchdown celebrations.
All right?
That was a good job by you guys.
Second off of that, I- tell me about his eating, 'cause I've, I've heard stories from a few people up there that, like, he puts crazy things together.
Yeah, I mean, I- you guys have seen it.
He posts it on his Instagram.
He has a few crazy things that he likes to eat, but, I mean, he's like, like all of us, I feel like.
In, in the A lot of us in the NFL, we eat- our diets aren't that crazy.
Right.
We really eat anything we want, and- Yeah ... you know, we run so much and work out so much that we're able to burn it off.
I think as you get older, it starts to change, when your metabolism slows down.
Right.
But Jaylen's still young.
He's still running fast, flying past people, and so, I mean, he really eats what he wants.
and I don't blame him for it.
Yeah.
All right, I got another crazy take for you, and I've been saying this for a while- Here we go.
Brace yourselves.
Here we go.
Get ready.
Get ready.
I love it.
You guys have so many great skill position players: Dave Montgomery, Jahmyr Gibbs, you, Jaylen, Sam LaPorta.
There's only one football.
You never hear anybody complain.
Nobody's ever saying, "I want the ball."
Winning, losing, doesn't matter.
My take has always been, 'cause if they do, they gotta deal with Amon-Ra, and he's gonna set 'em straight.
If anybody pops off, if anybody starts complaining, that you're gonna get in their face, and you're gonna say, "We're trying to win football games here.
Stop it."
Is that take accurate?
Nah, I wouldn't say that take is accurate.
I would say this, I- Usually he's in So it's- Right ... accurate that he's wrong again, is what you're saying.
I would say, you know, I feel like we're so close as a team.
Like, I can't speak for any other team, I've only been in Detroit, but, like, outside of the locker room, we're actually close.
We're good friends.
We hang out.
We do so much together.
So if it's like If I'm over here complaining that Jahmyr is scoring a touchdown, or Jaylen's scoring touchdowns, or LaPorta, or D , it's like, "Are you unhappy for them?
Are you Do you- is it just all about you?"
And so at the end of the day, if we're winning games, no one's complaining, and that's, that's the ultimate goal is, is to win games.
And when you win games, typically guys are playing well, and guys are catching balls, and scoring touchdowns, and doing all that good stuff.
So we're never ones to complain, I feel like, on our team, because we want everyone to succeed.
We just wanna win games, and if that means Jahmyr has to score 10 touchdowns this game to win the game, let him score 10.
If Jaylen needs 300 yards to win this game, let him get 300.
Yeah.
It doesn't matter.
Right.
We're not complaining.
So that's the kind of mindset we have, and I feel like that unselfish, you know, team that we have, it makes it special.
I got another crazy take for you.
Go ahead.
The problem with going for it on fourth down all the time is that the defense is always ready for it, and they never have that moment after a third down where they start walking off the field, and then they say, "Oh, shit, they're going for it.
We gotta turn around and go back."
Your response?
nah, I mean, you're talking about us being like, us go- Yeah- Yeah ... because you guys go for it so often- Right ... the defense always expects it.
'Cause usually, like, a defense, we stopped them on third down- I'll say the same ... we're walking off the field.
Yeah.
It's not surprising anymore.
And when, and when the team- Yeah, right ... goes for it on fourth down, they're like, "Oh, shit, now we gotta go back and play."
And it, it, it just, you gotta get your mind back in it like that.
But with the Lions, we're always expecting.
The defense is- Right ... always expecting you to go for it on fourth down.
Uh- So there's never an element of surprise.
I don't, I don't think so.
I mean, I mean, that element of surprise maybe only works the first two or three times you do it, and then after that, you're like, going into the game, you know they might go for it on fourth down, so you'll probably be on the field ready for it.
We've been doing it for years now, so teams know.
I think a lot of teams are starting to do it.
it's like a, I feel like, a wave in the NFL.
When I started- It, it is ... when I was watching the NFL as a kid, it's like fourth down, they're punting it, no matter if it's fourth and one.
Right.
Fourth and inches was like, oh, the only time they're probably going for it.
Yeah.
Or when you're down so far, you got no choice.
Right.
Right.
That was it.
And so now it's like I'm looking at teams, other teams, it's like we played the Rams end of the season, and Sean McVay went for it on, like, three, four downs in a row.
I know.
I'm like, "Damn, he's giving me He, he's giving us a taste of our own medicine."
Right.
but I feel like a lot of teams are doing it, and they're starting to realize how advantagio- advantageous it can be if you do get, get it.
Yeah, yeah.
But if you don't get it, there is a, a drawback to it.
Yeah, we talk about it a lot.
So- Hindsight, it's always 20/20.
Right.
but at the end of the day, I feel like if you have the, the right players and you feel like you can get it, you have a good scheme, a good game plan, you feel like you know what they're gonna be in on fourth down I mean, for us, I would say, for, for the Lions, I mean, when we're out there- ... we get to third and five, he might call a play, a run play, that's only gonna get us three or four yards.
Yeah.
But we know going into that run play- Right ... like, the running backs know, don't try to You don't have to try to get the first down.
Right.
Just get the three or four yards, because we're gonna go for it on fourth down.
Yeah.
you know, we might call a choice route on third and seven.
I'm not gonna try to get all seven yards.
I'll get the five yards, 'cause I know we'll go for it on fourth down.
Yeah.
So we kinda all know the, the mentality, the mindset, the way we like to play, and the way Dan likes to go for it, and so we're- we love going for it because we feel like we got the guys that can do it- Yeah.
-and we feel like we get it every time.
I hear.
I, I, I feel like the whole league, to your point, where everyone's jumping on it, is going too far with it now.
Where I'm like, there's too many drives where I go, "That was a good drive," and you came away walking off the field like, "Oh, man, we didn't get anything," right?
Yeah.
And there is real emotion that way, right?
There is, yeah.
And analytics can't do- figure that out.
All right, I know you can run routes and all that, but let me hear you be a pitch, pitchman for Little Caesars.
Yeah, so obviously, you know, I've been working with Little Caesars for, for quite a while now.
shot my second commercial this summer, which was a lot of fun.
I mean, there's so much that goes into production that people don't even see, but- Right, right ... the Deer O Deer commercial was amazing.
Um- Have you guys had a Detroit-style pizza?
Not, the Detroit-style pizza?
Detroit-style pizza.
Oh, I haven't had the Detroit-style pizza.
Okay, yeah, so I mean, you know, Detroit-style pizza is big in Detroit.
Right.
But they actually have coming out with this new Detroit-style slices and sticks, which is half Detroit-style pizza, half cheesebread on the other side.
Oh, okay.
It's amazing.
it's only five bucks.
If you haven't tried it, I suggest you try it.
yeah- Is that what you brought?
That's what I brought.
Are these ours?
That's, uh- The seal's not cracked.
That's for you.
I mean, it smells so good.
Leave that for him.
I'm gonna eat some of it.
So, you know, you have your hot takes.
That was my hot take.
All right, thank you.
But it's actually hot, too, so y'all are good.
He might have done something to yours, so make sure it's yours, all right?
'Cause I You know, he, he's not sure he likes you, I don't think.
You can like someone- I know, I know ... and respect someone- Yeah ... even if you think their takes suck.
But what's Detroit pizza?
No, I didn't say they suck, I just said they're crazy.
Yeah, they're crazy.
What's Detroit-style pizza, though?
I, I'm, I'm dead serious.
Like, it's Is it deep dish?
It's thick- open it up.
It's, it's thicker.
It's thicker.
Yeah.
Okay.
Okay, I got you.
I'm gonna break the seal.
Here we go.
All right, let me check it out.
Oh!
Oh, okay, yeah.
That looks like Yes.
Yeah.
Yes.
Yeah, I'm down for that.
That looks good.
Yeah, that's mine.
I am down for that.
You can have the other one.
I'm gonna have some later.
That's my lunch.
Okay, I like it.
Yep.
All right.
All right, so- Looks good.
We'll show it here ... thanks for coming by.
Yeah.
Detroit.
But also, the family.
How's I mean- Detroit ... how's dad?
How's everybody?
He's doing good.
They're all- Everyone's doing good, man.
he- Your dad's awesome, too- Appreciate it ... from the receivers series, man, I tell you what, I'd, I'd have been I'm Not- nothing against my own dad, but it's a very different parenting style.
And your dad, man, there's no days off, and let's go.
Yep.
And man, you, you That's great.
It's just, it's a great, it's a great inspiration.
Appreciate it.
And it makes me wanna go out and, like, you know, run around the block or go lift weights, just hearing your dad talking to you guys.
Yeah, yeah.
No, it's fun.
It was, it was fun growing up, you know?
Um- Does he still do it to you?
Like, are you still like, "Oh, God, I gotta go workout with Dad," like- Nah, nah ... he's coming to town?
I don't, I don't work out with him anymore.
Yeah.
he'll pull up some workouts and watch me work out.
Right, right.
he'll text me, you know, after games and stuff about what I should've done- ... how he saw this.
Right.
It's just funny.
but it's, it's always love because, you know, s- looking around, I'm older now, so I'm, like, 26, and I'll be at the gym working out by myself, and I'll see a kid with his son sh- shooting basketballs, like, at the gym, and it just reminds me of my dad and how not everyone has that, and how, how lucky I was- Man ... growing up to have one.
Yeah.
You're good peeps, man.
Appreciate it.
Yeah, easy to root for.
Thank you.
And you're gonna be involved in the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game on NBC.
Oh, yeah.
Oh, man, look at you.
Yeah.
You can dunk?
I can dunk, but I gotta throw a lot to myself.
You gotta go up that way 'cause you can't palm it- Yeah ... do it that way.
It's a little tougher for me.
Yeah, that's right.
I mean, yeah, you know, you're short.
That's okay.
How many points you think I'm gonna score- Oh ... if you guys had to guess?
27.
What?
Wow, hey, nah, I'm not like you.
Your takes aren't crazy.
They're amazing, though.
No, like, I don't know who the hell is playing in the game, but if you don't get at least 12 fast break points, I'll be disappointed in you.
Nah, I thought a lot about it.
I gotta get at least 15.
He's- Okay.
All right.
It's a celebrity game.
Like, you're gonna be playing against Carrot Top.
I mean, you're gonna go out there and dominate, right?
Yeah.
They said Jeremy Lin's on your team.
I was like, "I'm just gonna pass to Jeremy Lin every time."
Get, like, 10 assists.
All right, here he is, Amon-Ra St.
