Philly Leader

Stephen Moritz, a Padres area scout and devoted Kansas City Chiefs fan, is preparing for Super Bowl 59 with mixed emotions. His team is aiming for a third consecutive championship, but they face the Philadelphia Eagles, featuring A.J. Brown, an athlete Moritz once signed as a baseball prospect.

Brown was drafted by the Padres in 2016 after being scouted by Moritz at Starkville High School in Mississippi. Despite his potential in baseball, Brown chose to pursue football and has since become one of the NFL's top wide receivers. As he prepares to compete against the Chiefs on Sunday, Moritz finds himself slightly conflicted.

"There's nothing that would make me happier than for the Chiefs to go ahead and three-peat," said Moritz. "But A.J. goes off for 10 [catches], 120 [yards] and two scores."

Moritz recalls scouting Brown in 2015 and recognizing his exceptional athletic ability. He noted two standout plays: Brown's swift base running from first to home and his powerful hit over the left-center-field wall.

At that time, Brown was committed to playing college football at Ole Miss but also excelled in baseball. He participated in All-America Games for both sports, following Kyler Murray as only the second player to do so.

"He was elite at both sports," said Moritz about drafting Brown despite his commitment to football. The Padres retained Brown's rights if he chose baseball and allowed him to train at their facilities during college breaks.

Brown has expressed his love for baseball throughout his NFL career and credited it with enhancing his skills as a wide receiver. "Baseball really helped me out with that for football," he told ESPN in 2020.

Moritz remains confident that Brown could have succeeded as an outfielder due to his natural athleticism and skill set similar to those required of an NFL receiver.

As Super Bowl Sunday approaches, Moritz plans to watch with friends and family while wearing Chiefs gear. Despite rooting for Kansas City since childhood, he acknowledges it's hard not to support someone like A.J., albeit hoping he doesn't dominate against them.

"At the end of the day," said Moritz, "I want...the team I grew up rooting for...to lift the Lombardi Trophy again." Yet he admits feeling bittersweet about seeing someone like A.J.'s success on another field: "Have a good game...but please don't torch us."