Ole Miss welcomed one of their star alumni on Saturday to deliver the commencement speech. It was none other than Philadelphia Eagles Super Bowl-winning wide receiver AJ Brown .

Brown stood on the podium, wearing the iconic Ole Miss graduation robe and imparting words of wisdom to 5,500 graduates, set to enter the next chapter of their lives.

You are your own operation, your discipline is your product, your name is your brand, [and] your habits are your investments. Nobody's coming to build it for you, and nobody's coming to rescue you when it gets hard. Success isn't owned; it's rented. And rent is due every single day.

Brown spent three years (2016-2018) with the Ole Miss Rebels. When he left, Brown was the SEC school's all-time leading receiver with 189 catches for 2,984 yards and 19 touchdowns. The Tennessee Titans selected him in the second round of the 2019 draft, where he spent three years.

You're stepping into a new season. You're holding the ball. Ole Miss gave you the playbook. Now it's your job to call the plays and lead the drive.

In a similar fashion, the Titans traded Brown to the Eagles in 2022. He wasn't particularly happy about the move but accepted it by crediting it to the Almighty.

AJ Brown advised the new graduates to dream big

Brown has inspired many of the next generation of athletes to become wide receivers on the football field. He inspired more of the field to chase their dreams. The 28-year-old advised the new Ole Miss graduates to dream big because God is with them every step of the way.

Dream big—bigger than what feels safe—bigger than what feels comfortable. Because with God, with faith, and with consistent hard work, there's no limit to what you can build [and] above all, bet on yourself. Trust the work and trust the one who gave you the gift. Class of 2025, give yourself a round of applause. You've earned it.

Brown reached the Super Bowl in his first year with the Eagles but suffered a defeat against the Kansas City Chiefs. Three seasons later, the same two teams faced each other in Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans. The Eagles outclassed the Chiefs and stopped them from recording a three-peat.

Despite winning his first ring, the 2024-25 season wasn't Brown's best year. The Eagles focused more on the running game after they signed star running back Saquon Barkley. While Barkley set the franchise rushing yards record, Brown only caught 67 passes for 1079 yards and scored seven touchdowns. It was miles off his best in 2022, when he caught 88 passes for 1496 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Nevertheless, Brown is a multimillionaire and recently announced his engagement with his longtime partner, Kelsey Riley. The couple had a private ceremony with friends and family.

However, the ceremony also caused a commotion on social media. Several key players from the Eagles' Super Bowl-winning team weren't present to congratulate the pair. It included Barkley and the Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts.

Barkley was in the White House to meet with President Donald Trump, with a contingent of Eagles players and coaches.

Hurts reportedly was on honeymoon with his newly wedded wife, Bry Burrows. Hurts and Burrows later stole the show at the New York Met Gala earlier this month alongside Barkley, Bengals QB Joe Burrow, Patriots WR Stefon Diggs, and several other famous faces.

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Hi!!! I am Ishan Misra… I have covered the NFL & College Football for FirstSportz since 2023 (crossed 3000 articles). My first introduction to football was through Tom Brady's seventh Super Bowl triumph as the Buccaneers QB… whitewashing the Chiefs. The noise, confetti, passion, and sportsmanship of the players got me hooked, like a bee to a flower. When I am not fidgeting with my laptop keyboard and scrolling through Twitter for juicy gossip, I fondly spend my time reading Autobiographies of athletes… I am also a massive pop culture nut & enjoy listening to rock and old-school rap songs.