CHARLOTTE, N.C. – John Brown is usually a deep sleeper, but not lately.
Every night this week, the Cardinals receiver has been jolted awake by a mind that won’t stop racing. For more than an hour, he lies in bed and attempts to comprehend the spot his team is in.
Brown bounced around three low-level colleges and nearly gave up football entirely when his half-brother was killed in 2011. Now, he and his teammates are readying for Sunday night’s NFC Championship game against the Panthers, one win away from Super Bowl 50.
“One thing that really sticks out to me is, in elementary we had freestyle Fridays,” Brown said.