San Francisco 49ers first-year safety Ji'Ayir Brown received a prestigious honor following an impressive rookie season in the NFL.
A proud native of Trenton, New Jersey, Brown was given the key to his hometown on the steps of Trenton's city hall by Mayor Reed Gusciora. Brown was celebrated in the state's capital with golden balloons shaped in his jersey No. 27 and a banner that read "Congratulations Ji'Ayir Brown on dreams fulfilled... We are proud of you!"
Before Brown was selected by the 49ers in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft, he starred on the football and basketball teams at Trenton Central High School and played football at Lackawanna Community College and Penn State.
"What truly sets Ji'Ayir apart is not just his athletic prowess but his unwavering commitment to giving back to this city," Gusciora said at Brown's ceremony. "Despite reaching the pinnacles of success, he has remained rooted in his hometown, returning each summer to impart his knowledge and passion for the game to the next generation of TCHS football players."
In Brown's very first year in the NFL, he caught the league's attention.
He appeared in 15 regular-season games and he recorded 35 tackles, four passes defended and two interceptions. Brown found his way to San Francisco's starting safety spot with seven total starts including Super Bowl LVIII against the Kansas City Chiefs where he intercepted quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
"God has been great in my life, I've been blessed with so much," Brown said during his acceptance speech. "It's crazy to think about, because football never was the end-all, be-all for me. I never said, 'NFL, that's what I want to do, I have to get there.' I was so obsessed with just being the best version of me day-in and day-out, and it kind of fell into my lap, that I could be this amazing football player. Giving back to the kids and this city is the most important thing to me."
Congratulations, Brown for making your hometown proud!
