While watching the Detroit Lions play, you may have noticed that star wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown has a German flag on his helmet. Is St. Brown from Germany? Let’s examine why he wears the decal on his helmet.
Is Amon-Ra St. Brown German? Explaining the Flag on His Helmet
St. Brown was born in Anaheim Hills, Calif. So, why does he wear the German flag on his helmet?
“My mom is from Germany, so I’m half German,” St. Brown explained in an episode of “Inside the Den,” which followed him to Germany.
Amon-Ra’s mother, Miriam Brown née Steyer, is from Leverkusen, Germany. St. Brown is a German citizen, and he speaks German too.
St. Brown explained that the family visited Germany every summer when he was growing up. Even now, he travels there every offseason to visit his mother’s side of the family and hold a football camp in the country.
“It’s a lot of fun to be out there,” St. Brown said of Germany. “I kinda grew up out there, I was out there a lot as a kid. I know the area — I’m familiar with the people, the culture, and everything.”
Amon-Ra’s father, John Brown, met Miriam while attending a fitness event in Germany in 1989, and they hit it off. They eventually got married and had three kids: Amon-Ra, Equanimeous, and Osiris.
All three brothers are German citizens who spent a lot of time in the country as kids. In addition to speaking English and German, they also speak French.
“It was nice to have them come here because it’s part of their culture,” John told Inside the Den while in Germany. “I’m from Compton — I never thought in my wildest dreams that my kids would be in Germany, talking German, playing with their in-laws.
“It was just a great honor. I just used to always sit back and watch them speak German and hang out with their grandad and their grandma, and just have fun. For me, it was nice just to witness that.”
The full 28-minute episode of Inside the Den is worth the watch. St. Brown visits his grandparents’ house, kindergarten classroom, the soccer club he played for, and more. He also tells stories from his childhood, interacts with locals, attends a Hungary-Switzerland soccer match, and much more.