From Tolstoy to Belichick, here are authors keeping NFL players busy reading

Part of what makes an NFL play truthful captivating -- overmuch similar a bully publication -- is the out-of-nowhere crippled twists.

Who would person guessed, for example, that the biggest storyline to look from January's NFC wild-card game betwixt the Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers would beryllium a player's speechmaking habits.

That player, of course, was prima receiver A.J. Brown. When cameras panned the Eagles' sideline during the 2nd half, the representation of Brown speechmaking Jim Murphy's "Inner Excellence" connected the seat was broadcast to a nationalist audience.

Given Brown's quiescent crippled (one drawback for 10 yards connected 3 targets), the wide presumption was that it was a motion of frustration. But it turns retired Brown was utilizing the publication to tune in, not out.

"I'm conscionable utilizing it for football, to person my highest performance, trying to person my champion aforesaid retired determination connected the field," helium told ESPN astatine the time.

Sales for "Inner Excellence" surged crossed the country and Brown leaned into the recently revealed portion of his persona. He published his ain speechmaking database connected societal media earlier this offseason, encouraging his followers to find a publication that interests them "so you tin go a amended mentation of yourself."

While helium mightiness present beryllium the look of avid readership successful the NFL, it turns retired he's hardly alone. From "War and Peace" to the "Harry Potter" series, books are being devoured by players crossed the 32 teams.

Some squads, similar the Atlanta Falcons, person their ain publication nine that meets each offseason. The Washington Commanders are different radical that likes to work together: Quarterback Jayden Daniels, linebacker Bobby Wagner and cornerback Mike Sainristil conscionable finished a biography connected Celtics manager Joe Mazzulla, choky extremity Zach Ertz was precocious turned onto thriller novelist Harlan Coben by manager Dan Quinn portion OL Ted Karras of the Cincinnati Bengals trades books with squad president Mike Brown from clip to time.

Books are not lone a conveyance of self-improvement for these athletes, but besides a mode to curb surface time. San Francisco 49ers backmost Brock Purdy said helium makes an effort to delete Instagram and different societal media apps disconnected his phone, opting to work instead.

"I'll conscionable effort to marque an accent connected speechmaking and getting my caput connected things that are bigger than myself, and that helps maine conscionable with my beingness successful general," Purdy said. "And past evidently I deliberation speechmaking earlier furniture and cutting retired the bluish light, each those kinds of things person helped maine with my betterment and worldly too."

It's inactive not for everyone. New Orleans Saints information Tyrann Mathieu joked that his kids don't adjacent springiness him a moment's bid successful the bathroom, fto unsocial capable clip to devour a book. But Brown's nationalist speechmaking was conscionable a glimpse of what's going connected down the scenes astir the league.

"I mean for NFL players, I consciousness similar we each pat into immoderate benignant of book," said Jacksonville Jaguars moving backmost Travis Etienne Jr. "Just affirmations ... ever remaining calm, humble, and conscionable ever telling yourself what you request to perceive to spell retired determination and marque that adjacent play."

Our NFL Nation reporters spoke with players astir the league astir their speechmaking habits and what they're speechmaking this summer. "Atomic Habits" by James Clear was the astir communal pick, but what other cracked the list? Check retired the afloat picks below.

Zach Ertz, TE, Washington Commanders

His pick: "The Art of Winning" by Bill Belichick

"I started speechmaking successful 2024; my extremity is to work a publication a period and it morphed into speechmaking 40 pages oregon 40 minutes a nighttime and it's truly conscionable a mode for maine to decompress and autumn dormant easier. I work the Bible each time and I work a publication astatine night," helium said.

Damar Hamlin, S, Buffalo Bills

His picks: "Can't Hurt Me" by David Goggins; "Fear Is a Choice: Tackling Life's Challenges with Dignity, Faith, and Determination" by James Conner and Tiffany Yecke Brooks

"Can't Hurt Me" is astir "being capable to ligament your encephalon to wherever situations that are going connected astir you oregon happening to you, can't needfully person that overmuch clasp implicit however you spell forward," Hamlin said.

Hamlin added that speechmaking allows him "to usage clip I'm wasting connected anserine s--- productively." One country of productivity: Hamlin's moving connected his ain book, which is fittingly astir overcoming adversity.

Quentin Lake, S, Los Angeles Rams

His picks: "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell; "The 48 Laws of Power" by Robert Greene

"I similar ['Outliers'] due to the fact that it benignant of shows you that if you turn up oregon if you're successful a definite benignant of environment, it tin truly let you to thrive," helium said. "Now, '48 Laws of Power,' I similar that publication a batch due to the fact that it gives you rules. Now you don't instrumentality it literally, but determination are definite things you tin look astatine and it's like, 'Hey, however tin I usage my presumption that I'm successful close present arsenic an vantage to either elevate myself oregon get myself retired of trouble?'"

Lake said the Rams coaching unit is besides filled with adamant readers, including manager Sean McVay and antiaircraft backs manager Aubrey Pleasant.

"They ever notation a punctuation from a book. And I deliberation that's amazing," Lake said. "That's what I would privation to bash erstwhile I turn up too, is conscionable gaining each this information, but giving great, large lessons and quotes from books. I deliberation that's similar a ace accomplishment to me."

Patrick Mekari, C, Jacksonville Jaguars

His pick: "Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art" by James Nestor

Mekari likes to work books wherever helium feels similar he's learning something, whether it's astir past oregon thing else.

"[This book] changed my position connected [breathing], however important it is to respire done your chemoreceptor ... however it makes you recover, however you're capable to execute better. Game changing."

Brock Purdy, QB, San Francisco 49ers

His pick: "Gospel Patrons" by John Rinehart

"It's a publication astir however you tin usage your wealthiness for God's kingdom and communities and radical successful need. And looking backmost connected the past of radical that person helped retired with that benignant of stuff," helium said.

Bijan Robinson, RB, Atlanta Falcons

His picks: "Harry Potter" bid by J.K. Rowling; the Bible; books astir Hollywood

Robinson is into sci-fi and phantasy novels and has conscionable started the Harry Potter series. He besides enjoys speechmaking books astir Hollywood and actors, which makes consciousness since helium has studied acting and had a relation successful the Netflix play "Outer Banks."

Robinson is besides an avid scholar of the Bible and posts quotes often connected his Instagram stories. He said helium usually listens to audiobooks portion he's driving but wants to prime up the Harry Potter hardcover books and work those alternatively due to the fact that listening portion driving tin beryllium distracting.

Bobby Wagner, LB, Washington Commanders

His pick: "The Essays of Warren Buffett: Lessons for Corporate America" by Warren Buffett

"I similar to work what the astute radical read. So if radical accidental that Buffett is the champion capitalist successful the world, I privation to work what helium work to effort to beryllium that. And truthful aforesaid happening if Jay-Z has books retired determination that helium work and I emotion wherever he's astatine successful his beingness and however he's been. I work what helium reads, aforesaid with Kendrick [Lamar]," helium said. "I work what palmy radical work and I effort to spot if I summation the aforesaid cognition that they gained to hopefully effort to beryllium successful the aforesaid position, if not higher."

Leonard Williams, DT, Seattle Seahawks

His pick: "War and Peace" by Leo Tolstoy

Williams tends to similar self-help books, but the Pro Bowl antiaircraft lineman is presently tackling the classical Russian caller -- each 350-plus chapters of it.

"That's a agelong book," helium said. "That's wherefore I've been speechmaking it for a while, actually. I conscionable similar to spell backmost to it from clip to time, conscionable due to the fact that it's not 1 of those books wherever you request to decorativeness the full happening to get thing from it."

Josh Woods, LB, Atlanta Falcons

His picks: "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" by Robert T. Kiyosaki and Sharon Lechter; "Atomic Habits" by James Clear

Woods' absorption is self-improvement books, and helium believes they person helped him arsenic a player. He was really inspired to work much by A.J. Brown's infinitesimal connected the sidelines. The adjacent publication connected his database is "The Power of your Subconscious Mind."

"Getting person to 30, dude," Woods said. "Thirty is simply a precise scary age. You fig you've got to alteration immoderate worldly up."

Best of the rest:

• Jessie Bates III, S, Atlanta Falcons: "The Twin Thieves" by Steve Jones and Lucas Jadin; "Family Fortunes" by Bill Bonner

• Demario Davis, LB, New Orleans Saints: "The Advantage" by Patrick Lencioni

• Ted Karras, C, Cincinnati Bengals: "Lonesome Dove" by Larry McMurtry

• Ronnie Hickman, S, Cleveland Browns: "A Court of Thorns and Roses" by Sarah J. Maas

• Josh Hines-Allen, DE, Jacksonville Jaguars: "Don't Give The Enemy a Seat astatine Your Table" by Louie Giglio

• Foster Moreau, TE, New Orleans Saints: "The Comfort Crisis" by Michael Easter

• Taylor Rapp, S, Buffalo Bills: "The Daily Dad" by Ryan Holiday

• Trent Sieg, LS, Dallas Cowboys: "The Camel Club" by David Baldacci

• Kayvon Thibodeaux, DE, New York Giants: "The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom" by Don Miguel Ruiz

• Ahkello Witherspoon, CB, Los Angeles Rams: "James" by Percival Everett; "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr