April 29, 2020
By Matt Smith, Walmart Corporate Affairs
In a suburb of Atlanta, Walmart associate, Martha Brown, has been watching her son’s dream come true. That’s because Martha’s son is Derrick Brown, the seventh overall pick in this year’s NFL draft. “Don’t wake me up,” she said. “I want to continue living this dream right now.”
A Walmart film crew has been following the Brown family for two years to tell the story of Derrick’s journey on the way to the pros.
Along the way, the Brown family allowed us into their home and their lives. Through the series, we get to see Derrick become a father with the birth of his son, Kai. We get to see Derrick struggle with the decision of whether to enter the draft early or come back to Auburn University for his senior year. Finally, we get to see Derrick prepare for the first-ever remote draft in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Through it all, Martha, a 15-year Walmart associate in Cumming, Georgia, never missed a game. And even in the middle of all the changes to their plans due to coronavirus, the Browns take everything in stride.
“I’d rather for it to be a virtual draft than actually no draft,” she said.
And the remote draft did not disappoint. Derrick Brown was drafted early in the first round by the Carolina Panthers, which is closer to home than some of the other teams with reported interest in him.
“I’m just happy to know that his dream is finally coming true,” she said. “And that he’ll be a little closer to home.”
Watch the whole story of Derrick and Martha’s journey on YouTube or on Walmart World Facebook and Instagram.
