Discover the Multicultural Heritage and Linguistic Skills of Detroit Lions Standout Amon-Ra St. Brown

Amon-Ra St. Brown has swiftly risen to fame as one of the NFL’s most admired wide receivers. Whether you’re tracking his stats for your fantasy league or cheering for the Detroit Lions, St. Brown has garnered a devoted fan base eager to see his every move on the field. His admirers are equally intrigued by the story behind this talented athlete.

Here’s a closer look at Amon-Ra St. Brown’s family roots and the impressive number of languages he can speak.

Who are Amon-Ra St. Brown’s parents?

Amon-Ra Julian Heru John St. Brown entered the world on October 24, 1999, in Anaheim Hills, California. His parents, Miriam Brown (née Steyer) and John Brown, have a diverse background. Miriam hails from Leverkusen, Germany, while John grew up in Compton, California. Their paths crossed at a fitness expo in Germany in 1989, leading to their marriage seven years later.

Amon-Ra is the youngest among his siblings, with two brothers named Equanimeous and Osiris. Their father, John, wanted to break away from the ordinariness of his own name, opting instead to give his sons distinctive names designed to leave an impression.

Their names carry significant meanings: Amon-Ra is named after the Egyptian sun god, Osiris takes his name from the Egyptian god of the underworld, and Equanimeous draws from a literary character inspired by the concept of “equanimity,” which is defined as maintaining calmness and composure under stress.

John even added “St.” to their last name for sports purposes because he thought “St. Brown” would look cooler on the back of their jerseys instead of plain old “Brown.”

Like Amon-Ra, Equanimeous also plays in the NFL and has had stints with a few teams, including the Lions’ NFC North rivals — the Green Bay Packers and the Chicago Bears. Their father is credited with instilling the discipline in them needed to make it to and play in the NFL, as John is a former two-time Mr. Universe and three-time Mr. World bodybuilding champion. 

“I explained that to them when they were probably like 2 years old,” John said per ESPN. “I would tell them to line up. I would blow a whistle, and that means toe to line, and they all had to line up from the tallest to the shortest, and they had to stand with their hand like soldiers. Hands to the side, head straight while I’m talking to them, because there’s moments in life where I need my son’s undivided attention to explain certain things in life.”

What languages does Amon-Ra speak?

Amon-Ra is multilingual. In addition to English, he also speaks German and French.

“I speak three different languages. My mom’s from Germany, so growing up I was learning German and English,” Amon-Ra shared with DetroitLions.com. “And then I went to school in France for a semester, and I went to a French school out in Orange County from preschool to sixth grade, so that’s how I learned French.”

Miriam told Rivals, “It was never a question to me when I came here [America] that my children should speak different languages.”

Amon-Ra and his brothers have dual American and German citizenship and visit their mother’s home country as often as they can. The Lions’ wideout and Equanimeous organized a football camp for children in Cologne recently.

“There was a huge amount of interest, and the whole thing was a lot of fun,” Amon-Ra said. “I always really love coming back to Germany. It reminds me of when I was young.”