Why you can expect to see Grammy winner John Legend at a Kentucky football game

Do not be surprised if the Kroger Field stands have a little more star power this fall.

No Wildcat freshman has generated more hype through the first two weeks of preseason camp than wide receiver Anthony Brown. That hype means there should be no shortage of excitement among the existing members of Big Blue Nation to see Brown play his first college season.

But Brown also brings his own celebrity fan with him: Grammy winner John Legend.

Legend is Brown’s uncle, the brother of his mother, Phyllis Stephens. Legend has already watched Brown play for Springfield High School in Ohio in person, and plans are in the works for him to attend a Kentucky game this season.

“I already texted him,” Brown said. “He’s going to be there. I won’t tell you all what game, but he’s going to be there.”

Based on early reviews of Brown’s play in practice, Legend should have plenty of opportunities to see his nephew on the field when he does make it to a game.

Brown graduated from high school a semester early to enroll at UK and participate in spring practice. With most of the veteran backup wide receivers last season exiting via the transfer portal, Brown was immediately thrust into the rotation.

“He’s everything everybody thought of him,” senior wide receiver Tayvion Robinson said. “He’s poised, he’s a good route-runner, he’s smart. He takes coaching.”

Drops were a problem at times for Brown during spring practice, but offensive coordinator Liam Coen said those issues were easily explained by the quick adjustment from catching passes in high school to catching passes from Devin Leary, one of the top quarterbacks in the Southeastern Conference.

During summer workouts, Brown was among the team leaders in passes caught on the jugs machine.

“It’s not that he had bad hands,” wide receivers coach Scott Woodward said. “It’s just when he didn’t look it in and focus on the ball, he dropped it sometimes. He’s gotten rid of those the last couple of days. He really took a jump, from the spring, to the summer, to now.

“Anything you tell AB to do, he’s doing it 110%.”

Listed at 5-foot-10, 168 pounds on Kentucky’s roster, Brown might fit best in the offense as a slot wide receiver behind Robinson, but UK coaches have already trained him at outside receiver as well.

That versatility could be key for Kentucky with only one backup wide receiver who caught a pass in a game last season returning. Starters Barion Brown, Dane Key and Robinson could form one of the more dynamic group of pass catchers for Kentucky in more than a decade, but it is unlikely the team can make it through a full SEC season with just three wide receivers playing meaningful snaps.

Sophomore Dekel Crowdus and Brown should be the top options behind the starting trio. Brown’s classmates Shamar Porter and Ardell Banks, who were not on campus for spring practice, will have a chance to earn a role as freshmen. Tight end Izayah Cummings and running back Demie Sumo-Karngbaye have split time at wide receiver in early practices, too.

But Brown might be the best bet to force his way into a featured role.

“I thought he’s handled this go-around extremely well, in terms of being somebody we can count on to go play, somebody we can be able to push the ball down the field to,” Coen said. “Diligent worker, smart kid. Bright future ahead of him.”

Family ties could help Brown on the football, too, as he’s watched older brother Michael Brown-Stephens work his way into a starting role at Minnesota. Last season, Brown-Stephens caught 22 passes for 338 yards for the Golden Gophers.

It would take quite the football career to eclipse his uncle in fame, but Brown looks well on his way to carving out a reputation separate from his better known family members.

When Legend attends his first Kentucky game, he might see a little of himself on the field, too.

“Anthony Brown is just a driven guy,” Kentucky recruiting coordinator Vince Marrow said. “His uncle is one of the best R&B singers or pop stars in the world, and he worked hard … going and making it, and now living in L.A. Anthony Brown is the same way.”

This story was originally published August 17, 2023 at 7:00 AM.

Jon Hale

Lexington Herald-Leader

(859) 414-6776

Jon Hale is the University of Kentucky football beat writer for the Lexington Herald-Leader. He joined the Herald-Leader in 2022 but has covered UK athletics for more than 10 years. Hale was named the 2021 Kentucky Sportswriter of the Year. Support my work with a digital subscription