When James Brown was cut by the Atlanta Hawks during training camp, he vowed to always work as hard to stay on top as he did to get to the top. Fast forward 30-plus years and the Bethesda native is recognized the world over. He’s studio host of “The NFL Today” on CBS Sports, a special correspondent with CBS News, and was a longtime co-host of the top-ranking pregame show, “Fox NFL Sunday” — but despite his success, Brown (“JB” to friends) says his career is not his vocation, but his “avocation.”
“My vocation,” Brown says, “is about being a man of God and wanting to contribute to efforts like this.” The efforts he’s referring to are those of the 2nd Century Project, a mission to restore the historic Scotland A.M.E. Zion Church which was built in 1924 by Black congregants in Potomac and nearly destroyed by a fire in 2019. It’s the first thing he mentions on my call with him, enthusiastic to get the word out. Along with an inclusive group of other local leaders including Mitchell Rales, the project aims to not only rescue the building but to protect it from future flooding and expand it to serve the needs of the community.
Brown credits his parents, John and Mary Ann Brown, for the foundation of excellence and hard work they laid out for him, all rooted in their Christian faith. They “had PhDs in drive and determination,” he says. Brown says his DeMatha Catholic High School basketball coach Morgan Wootten built on this foundation. “Morgan Wootten said the players playing for him had to have four priorities: God first, family second, school third, then your sport,” Brown says.
In his ministry work, Brown imparts wisdom much like a coach would, with refreshing frankness, deep knowledge, and encouraging words. In the football off-season when he has some downtime, the Harvard graduate speaks at churches across the country, as well as at executive leadership conferences. In July, he’ll be presenting alongside faith leaders Dr. David Jeremiah and Tony Dungy on a Turning Point Ministries Alaska cruise conference.
Brown’s path is proof that rejection can point you to your life’s purpose. As his star rose, Brown credits scripture for keeping him levelheaded. “Once you start to get cocky and prideful, that begins the precipitous slide down the abyss,” he says. He points to three guiding words from Ephesians 4:16: “Every joint supplies.” One takeaway? “Everybody's blessed with a gift, but the gift is only meaningful in as much as it is used for the benefit of the whole.”
To learn more about the 2nd Century Project, visit scotlandamezion.org