Eagles’ draft pick Sydney Brown proud of his Canadian roots
Sydney Brown left Canada but he didnt leave Canada behind.
The Eagles third-round pick is a London, Ontario, native with an incredible backstory that took him to Florida and then Illinois and now to Philly. But hes still extremely proud of his Canadian roots.
Its definitely something to take pride in, Brown said on a videoconference call with reporters this weekend. Theres not a lot of Canadians that have experienced this opportunity before. Theres definitely some guys ahead of me like John Metchie and Jesse Luketa and a plethora of other Canadians who have done it before me. But if you look at it this year, theres a really big group of us that have made that step into pursuing the NFL and having the opportunity to get drafted.
I hope that its just something that inspires the younger generation here, not only in London, Ontario, but also in all of Canada and kind of gives them a sense of guidance and purpose.
In his short call with Philadelphia reporters, Brown mentioned Canada a few times and gave away his heritage by thanking the Eagles organ-I-zation at the start.
Brown and his twin brother Chase have a pretty unbelievable backstory that was highlighted on an NFL 360 pre-draft piece. Despite the popularity of hockey in Ontario, they began playing football at a young age because it was cheaper and their mother couldnt afford the more expensive sport. Eventually, their skill took them to a private school in Florida to live with a host family and eventually reunited them in Illinois.
Sydney Brown was drafted by the Eagles in the third round and his running back brother Chase was taken in the fifth round by the Bengals.
While he became a standout on the football field, Sydney Brown grew up as a boxing and hockey fan. He joked that he didnt really understand football well at all, once thinking that Alabama and South Dakota were on the same level and in the same conference.
Im a hockey fan, Brown said. Im from Ontario, Toronto. Definitely a Toronto Maple Leafs guy. But with the love of this city and the opportunity that Philadelphia has provided me, Ill definitely look at the Flyers a little bit more.
The Brown twins were standouts in Canada but that continued when they transferred to St. Stephens Episcopal School in Bradenton, Florida, on a partial scholarship. Eventually, the twins were back together at Illinois, where they became stars on their respective sides of the football.
Brown had trouble explaining the rush of emotions he felt getting drafted. He said the only way he could explain it was like a drug hed only get once because it was the best feeling in the world.
I think the relationship that my brother and I shared really propelled us into the position Im in now, Brown said. And definitely coming from the background we did, it definitely gave us a reason to push harder, especially with a family that Im coming from and what they did to sacrifice to put me in the position that I am now. I guess you kind of look at it and you look at the story and where we came from and you can say, yeah, it wasnt probable that theyd be successful or make a mark at the NFL, especially being from Canada.
But I think after we went to Florida and we were around some amazing people that helped change our lives. Not only from a mental standpoint but just routine-based. I think the habits that you produce and live by on a day-by-day basis really lead to who you are and how productive you are as a person, right? But again, I dont think anybody is surprised by where we are and what were doing. Im definitely not. I lived my routine, I lived football and its definitely a unique opportunity. I am so blessed to be sitting here right now saying that I am a Philadelphia Eagle.
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