It’s not often that A.J. Green looks surprised when a pack of media members head over to his locker inside Paul Brown Stadium, but the 28-year-old looked genuinely stunned – almost like he was shocked back into being A.J. Green, Pro Bowl wide receiver.
His reaction made a bit more sense though when he stood up and his eyes were bloodshot from about two hours of sleep after becoming A.J. Green, father.
His son, Easton Ace, was born Wednesday.
“Ah man, it’s unbelievable,” Green said. “Just to see him come out and know that you helped create that was unbelievable. I can’t even describe the feeling. It was emotional. Very emotional. Just how blessed we are to bring something like that into the world…it was just unbelievable. I don’t even know what to say. I can’t wait to get back home to him right now.”
A photo posted by Miranda Green (@mirandabrooke_) on
Miranda Green went through 36 hours of labor – and definitely made sure her husband was awake with her – before the 8-pound, 8-ounce, 22-inch baby nicknamed "Eazy" entered the world.
“She's a trooper. Trooper. Whole new, different respect for women,” Green said. “I was trying to be as nice as I could, man. I got yelled at a couple times for falling asleep because she couldn’t sleep. I just got up and just hung in there with her. So much respect there. She’s much tougher than I am.”
Green was excused from practice on Wednesday, but returned Thursday.
“It was good to get back, good to get back with the fellas, but I’m excited to go back home,” he said.
It’s a feeling and a look several teammates can relate to. Quarterback AJ McCarron and his wife Katherine welcomed in their son, Tripp, in May.
“Yeah, he was sleepy,” McCarron said with a laugh. “You could tell. He said he got up at three to feed him and I said I had to get up at three, 3:15 this morning because little man, mama was feeding him and he threw up twice everywhere and I had to get up and help her clean it up and everything and wash him off. It’s not going to change for a while. Over time, you get used to it – you’re like a zombie and you can go off four hours of sleep.
“I told him it’s the way it’s going to be.”
