A. J. Green - Part 1 (The Beginnings to College)

Photo Credit:
https://www.skysports.com/nfl/news/
12118/9987692/a-j-green-signs-four-year-60m-
extension-with-cincinnati-bengals)

Jersey Number:           18

Position:                        Wide Receiver

Personal Information:

Born:                           July 31^st, 1988

Birthplace:                   Summerville, South Carolina

Height:                         6 ft. 4 in.

Weight:                        207 lb.

Career Information:

High School:               Summerville

College:                       Georgia (2008 – 2010)

NFL Draft:                  2011: 1^st round, 4^th overall pick

Career History:

· Cincinnati Bengals (2011 – 2020)

· Arizona Cardinals (2021 – 2022)

Awards and Highlights:

· 2x Second – Team All – Pro (2012, 2013)

· 7x Pro Bowl (2011 – 2017)

· PFWA NFL All – Rookie Team (2011)

· 2x First – Team All – American (2009, 2010)

· 2x First – Team All – SEC (2008, 2009)

· Second – Team All – SEC (2010)

· SEC Freshman of the Year (2008)

Career NFL Statistics:

Receptions: 727

Receiving Yards: 10,514

Receiving Touchdowns: 70

A.J. Green is a former professional football wide receiver who played in the NFL for twelve seasons.  He played the majority of his career for the Cincinnati Bengals.  In college, he played for the Georgia Bulldogs, earning first – team All – American honors before being selected by the Bengals with the fourth overall pick in the 2011 NFL draft.  He is regarded as one of the greatest wide receivers of the 2010’s decade.⁽¹⁾

In his first season with the Bengals, Green made the 2012 Pro Bowl, becoming the first rookie receiver to make a Pro Bowl appearance in eight years, and went on to accumulate a total seven Pro Bowl appearances throughout his career.  From 2011 to 2013, Green caught more passes (260) than any other player in NFL history during their first three seasons, a record that was later broken by Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham Jr. (288).  He had six seasons with 1,000 or more receiving yards.

Green signed with the Cardinals in 2021, having finished his Bengals career ranked second in franchise history, behind only Chad Johnson, in receiving yards, receiving touchdowns, and receptions⁽²⁾.  On September 16^th, 2023, Green signed a one – day contract with the Bengals to retire with the team.⁽³⁾

Early Life

When Green was age 4, his brother and only sibling died in a car accident on the way to a school carnival⁽⁴⁾.  Green was on his elementary school’s juggling team, telling The Atlanta Journal – Constitution that he learned to juggle as early as second grade.  Green said he could juggle as many as four items at once, and that ability helped the development of his hand – eye coordination.⁽⁵⁾

Green attended Summerville High School in Summerville, South Carolina, where he was a three – sport athlete in football, basketball, and track⁽⁶⁾.  He played as a wide receiver for the Summerville Green Wave football team, under coach John McKissick.  He was widely considered to be one of the top national football prospects of the Class of 2008 and was listed #1 by Sports Illustrated⁽⁷⁾⁽⁸⁾.  Green earned All – State honors four times and was the only junior nominated for the 2006 USA Today All – American first – team following 75 receptions for 1,422 yards and 16 touchdowns during his junior season.  Green was also selected as a member of the Rivals.com Junior All – America team based on those stats⁽⁹⁾.  As a freshman, he had 57 receptions for 1,217 yards and eight touchdowns.  As a sophomore, he had 60 catches for 1,203 yards and 14 touchdowns.

Green’s 5,373 career receiving yards rank second in the all – time career receiving records of the National Federation of High Schools.  His 279 career receptions rank fourth⁽¹⁰⁾.  In June 2006, Green was profiled by Sports Illustrated as part of its “Where Will They Be?” stories documenting athletes with the potential of becoming a future great, alongside Peter Uihlein, John Tavares, Tyreke Evans, Elena Delle Donne, and others⁽¹¹⁾.  Sports Illustrated compared him to the then – Oakland Raiders wideout Randy Moss and predicted Green to be in the NFL by 2011.  Green was also on the school’s track & field team, where he competed as a long jumper (top – jump of 19 feet 6 inches) and triple jumper (40 feet 0 inches).⁽¹²⁾

Rivals.com ranked Green as their No. 9 prospect for the high school class of 2008, while Scout.com named Green their No. 10 prospect nationally^(13)(14).  He participated in the Under Armour All – America Game.⁽¹⁵⁾

Green was also on the Summerville High school basketball team that claimed the 2007 – 2008 South Carolina state championship in the championship game against Spartanbugh (S.C.) High School⁽¹⁶⁾.  The game was played in memory of their fallen assistant coach, Captain Louis Mulkey of the Charleston Fire Department in South Carolina, who died responding to a fire with eight other firefighters on June 18^th, 2007.⁽¹⁷⁾

College Career

Photo Credit: 
https://www.si.com/college/georgia/news/

  georgia-football-todays-top-dawg-a-look-back-
at-uga-great-aj-green)

Green verbally committed to attend the University of Georgia in October 2006,⁽¹⁸⁾ and made his commitment official by signing a letter of intent to play at Georgia on February 6^th, 2008⁽¹⁹⁾.  He played for coach Mark Richt’s Georgia Bulldogs football team from 2008 to 2010.^(20)(21)

2008 season

Green had a solid freshman season for the 10 – 3 Georgia Bulldogs in 2008⁽²²⁾.  He joined a wide receivers unit that contained Mohamed Massaquoi, Michael Moore, Kris Durham, and Demiko Goodman⁽²³⁾.  In the fourth game of his college career, against Arizona State, Green had eight catches for 159 yards and a touchdown in the 27 – 10 victory⁽²⁴⁾.  For this, he was named SEC (Southeaster Conference) Player of the Week⁽²⁵⁾.  On October 18^th, against SEC East rival Vanderbilt, he had seven receptions for 132 receiving yards in the 24 – 14 victory.⁽²⁶⁾

He finished the 2008 season with 56 catches for 963 yards and eight touchdowns, all Georgia freshman school records⁽²⁷⁾.  He also led the SEC in receiving yards, with the third – highest total in UGA (University of Georgia) school history⁽²⁸⁾.  He was named second – team All – SEC and Freshman of the Year by the SEC coaches, and was named to the Associated Press All – SEC first – team.⁽²⁹⁾

2009 season

As a sophomore, Green became the top option for the Georgia wide receivers group that added newcomers Tavarres King and Rantavious Wooten⁽³⁰⁾.  Green saw similar opportunities production – wise as a sophomore in Georgia’s 8 – 5 season⁽³¹⁾.  On September 19^th, he had seven receptions for 137 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns in a 52 – 41 victory on the road against Arkansas⁽³²⁾.  He followed that up with eight receptions for 153 receiving yards and a receiving touchdown in a 20 – 17 victory over Arizona State in the next game⁽³³⁾.  On November 14^th, against Auburn, he suffered a left shoulder injury, which kept him out of the remaining regular season games⁽³⁴⁾.  He returned for the 2009 Independence Bowl, December 28^th, in Shreveport, Louisiana, where he made six catches totaling 57 yards in the 44 – 20 victory over the Texas A&M Aggies⁽³⁵⁾.  Green ended the 2009 regular season with 53 catches for 808 yards and six touchdowns, leading the team in all those categories despite missing time due to injury.⁽³⁶⁾

Among other awards, Green was elected All – SEC First – team by the Associated Press, SEC Coaches, ESPN, Phil Steele, and Sporting News.⁽³⁷⁾

2010 season

Green’s junior season started off tumultuous due to a compliance issue.  He was suspended for the first four games of the 2010 regular season after he admitted to selling his 2009 Independence Bowl Jersey for $1,000 dollars to former North Carolina defensive back Chris Hawkins, who the NCAA described as an agent or someone who markets amateur athletes^(38)(39).  As part of his punishment, he was required to repay $1,000 dollars to a charity⁽³⁸⁾.  Green returned from the suspension on October 2^nd and had seven receptions for 119 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns in a 29 – 27 road loss to Colorado⁽⁴⁰⁾.  On November 6^th, against Idaho State, he had six receptions for 103 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns in the 55 – 7 victory⁽⁴¹⁾.  In the following game against rival Auburn, he had nine receptions for 164 receiving yards and receiving touchdowns in the 49 – 31 road loss⁽⁴²⁾.  Green finished Georgia’s 6 – 7 season with a team – high 57 catches for 848 yards and nine touchdowns.^{(43)(44)(45)(46)}

On January 9^th, 2011, Green officially declared for the 2011 NFL draft⁽⁴⁴⁾.  He finished his three seasons at the University of Georgia with 166 receptions for 2,619 yards and 23 touchdowns.⁽²⁰⁾

College Statistics

Part 2 of this article will be posted on Tuesday, November 4, 2025 

Discovering the Soul of Fontainebleau

Morning light over the Château de Fontainebleau, 

seen from the Cour d’Honneur — where centuries of 

French royalty once arrived by carriage.

Credit: © GetYourGuide / Fontainebleau 

Palace Official Tourism

This article researched and compiled

by Michael A. Buccilli

On a mist-lit October morning, A traveler stepped off the train at the station in Fontainebleau-Avon, the wheels still humming as if reluctant to leave behind the bustle of Paris. With a camera slung over one shoulder and a warm café au lait in hand, He set off into the quiet foreshadowing of one of France’s most layered landscapes—where royal legacy, forest grandeur, and the poet’s eye converge. This is France at its texture-rich, time-worn best, and for the travel-photographer, Fontainebleau offers chapter after chapter of visual and historical delight.

The Château de Fontainebleau: House of Kings 

Galerie François I — a Renaissance masterpiece 

commissioned by King François I and 

decorated by Rosso Fiorentino.

Credit: © Château de Fontainebleau/ 

RMN-Grand Palais

The François I Gallery, one of the earliest and 

most exquisite examples of French 

Renaissance interior art.

Credit: © Château de Fontainebleau/

Photo by RMN-Grand Palais

The Salon de l’Abdication, where Napoleon I 

signed his abdication on April 6, 1814.

Credit: © Château de Fontainebleau

 /H. Maertens

The Louis XIII Salon, restored under Napoleon III — 

a dialogue between Renaissance grace and 19th-century grandeur.

Credit: © Château de Fontainebleau 

Official Archives

The Grand Parterre and gardens designed by 

André Le Nôtre in the 17th century — 

the largest formal garden in Europe.

Credit: © Fontainebleau Tourisme

When one imagines a French royal palace, one might first think of Palace of Versailles. Yet tucked about 55 km southeast of Paris lies the extraordinary Château de Fontainebleau — a residence shaped and reshaped by nearly every major dynasty of France, richly furnished and yet gracefully less grandiose than its better-known cousin. It is often called the “house of centuries.” Fontainebleau Tourisme+2Wikipedia+2

From hunting lodge to royal residence

The story begins in the 12th century: a medieval hunting lodge and chapel at Fontainebleau, Brommed by King Louis VII in 1137, stands as the earliest major royal presence. Lescarnetsdigor+2Château de Fontainebleau+2 Over the following centuries, what started as a modest castle expanded into a sprawling residence under the likes of François I, Henri II, and later emperors including Napoleon I and Napoleon III. Wikipedia+2Fontainebleau Tourisme+2 François I, especially, transformed the building and its artistic scope — inviting Italian masters, introducing the French Renaissance to the palace, and creating the Galerie François I as a jewel of early French-Renaissance decoration. Château de Fontainebleau+1

Architecture and art across dynasties

Walking through the vast courtyards, the oval “Cour Ovale,” and the many wings, one senses layers of time: medieval keep relics, Renaissance loggias, baroque gardens, Napoleonic apartments, Second Empire gusts. The palace’s world-heritage listing highlights this continuity—“the architecture and decor of the Palace of Fontainebleau strongly influenced the evolution of art in France and Europe.” UNESCO World Heritage Centre+1

Take the ballroom built by Henri II (beginning 1552): its coffered ceiling, its frescoes by Niccolò dell’Abbate after Primaticcio’s designs, its monumental fireplace — all whisper of a court steeped in both political power and aesthetic display. Wikipedia Later, under Napoleon III, rooms were renovated in neo-Renaissance and neoclassical styles, reflecting the stylistic layering of the château. Wikipedia

Historical moments that echo

The Château wasn’t just a stage for grand design; it was also an arena of decisive history. One of the most poignant: Napoleon I’s abdication in April 1814 took place here. UNESCO World Heritage Centre+1 Another: the repeal of the Edict of Nantes in 1685 by Louis XIV was also signed here — a turning point in French religious history. UNESCO World Heritage Centre

Visitor-experience today

For the modern traveller–photographer, Fontainebleau offers not just royal chamber after chamber, but gardens and canal reflections, vistas from the terraces, and the opportunity to see many centuries of art in one place. You’ll want to allow at least half a day (if not a full day) just for the château and its immediate grounds. The official historical site describes the medieval palace origins, the Renaissance transformations, and more. Château de Fontainebleau+1

The Forêt de Fontainebleau: Nature’s Canvas

Autumn in the Forêt de Fontainebleau — 

sandstone boulders and copper leaves 

under a painter’s sky.

Credit: © Razvanphoto / 123RF

Aerial view of Fontainebleau Forest — 

a living sea of green stretching far 

beyond the château’s edges.

Credit: © Navaway.fr

Winding hiking trails amid ancient boulders in 

Fontainebleau’s Trois Pignons area.

Credit: © AllTrails / Fontainebleau France

Just beyond the château’s elegant façade stretches the Forêt de Fontainebleau — a wild, sequestered, art-filled woodland that has inspired artists, travellers and letter-writers for centuries. The forest is vast, varied, and atmospheric: light filtering through high beech and oak, sandstone boulders and caves rising like natural sculptures, and trails winding into quiet glades.

Size, geology and wildlife

The forest covers about 17,000 hectares of managed woodland, extended by a further 3,000 hectares in the Trois Pignons massif. Fontainebleau Tourisme+1 Other sources quote around 25,000 hectares for the broader unspoilt countryside. Navaway+1 Geological history adds drama: the sandstone rocks are remnants of a sea from the Oligocene, and the forest floor still reveals white sand and strange formations that seem sculpted by time. Wikipedia+1

Wildlife and flora are rich. Thousands of plant species, deer and roe deer, wild boar, foxes, squirrels, and a chorus of birds make the forest alive in every season. Fontainebleau Tourisme+1

The artists’ forest: Barbizon and beyond

What distinguishes the design-obsessed viewer is this: in the 19th century, a group of painters known as the Barbizon School gravitated to the forest’s edges. They rejected purely academic studio‐painting to paint directly from nature, in the open air, sketching the shifting light and the live trees and boulders. The Metropolitan Museum of Art+1 Their activities helped catalyse modern landscape art, and the forest became a living studio. One writer described them as “intoxicated” by the forest’s majesty and smell. The Metropolitan Museum of Art

This artistic legacy is visible: in the shaded trails, in the “Barbizon circuit” trails, in the sense of nature as a subject rather than a backdrop. It gives the forest a double visual identity: as wild nature and as art history.

Hiking, trails & photo-moments

For a photographer’s soul, the forest is rich: there are over 300 km of marked paths. Fontainebleau Tourisme A good example is the “Circuit des 25 Bosses” — a more demanding 17 km loop across the Trois Pignons with dramatic boulder views. Navaway For lighter walks, the Ponds trail or the Apremont Gorges offer romantic landscapes. larivieredoree.com

As a travel-photographer, I found the golden light of autumn particularly compelling: the sandstone glows, leaves turn copper, and the contrast between vertical trunks and irregular rock-forms creates strong graphic compositions. In spring, the fresh greens, delicate budding flora, and soft morning mist introduced an entirely different mood.

The Town of Fontainebleau: Royal Roots & Everyday Charm

Café terraces near Place du Général de Gaulle - 

where daily life flows beneath royal façades.

Credit: © TripAdvisor Images / DR

Classic brasserie terrace with view toward the
château timeless French café culture.

Credit: © TripAdvisor Images

Outdoor market in Fontainebleau — colors, textures, and 

voices mingling under striped awnings.

Credit: © French Affaires / Susan Herrmann Loomis

When writing about travel photography in a destination such as Fontainebleau, one must not forget the human scale. Beyond palace and forest lies the charming town itself—where the scent of fresh bread drifts from little boulangeries, where independent boutiques line narrow streets, and where cafés spill into sunlight on the main square.

Town life & local flavour

The town centre around Place du Général de Gaulle bustles on market days—Tuesday, Friday and Sunday mornings—when vendors display cheeses, charcuterie, seasonal produce, and artisan goods. TourismAttractions+1 Cafés like the Grand Café on the square invite lingering with a croissant and a latte. French Affaires For shops, the town offers antiques dealers, decorative objects, and charming design stores—making strolling a pleasure. My French Country Home Magazine

Where to pause

For a traveller-photographer, one of the joys is simply to sit with a café near the château, and watch light shift over the square, listen as locals pass, and capture the vignette of everyday life beneath the looming presence of royal history. Evening walks reveal softly lit façades, glowing windows, and the quiet peace of a town that has hosted kings and now hosts you.

Getting There & Planning Your Stay

Travel logistics may not always feel emphatically poetic, but for a photographer they matter—they shape the light, the arrival, the freshness of perspective.

• Distance from Paris: The town of Fontainebleau sits about 55–60 km (roughly 35–40 miles) southeast of central Paris. Travelmath+1

• By train: Board at Paris Gare de Lyon and alight at Fontainebleau-Avon. The ride takes about 40 minutes and tickets are modest. Rome2Rio+1

• By car: From Paris, take the A6 motorway (via Porte d’Orléans or Porte d’Italie) and follow the exit to Fontainebleau. Château de Fontainebleau

• Day-trip vs overnight stay: A day trip is entirely feasible and popular. But staying overnight brings extra pleasure — evening light, fewer crowds in the morning, and the chance to explore the forest’s quiet dawn. For photography especially, an overnight stay allows you to be in position at first light with fewer other visitors.

• Getting around locally: The town is very walkable; to reach deeper forest trails you might rent a car or take local buses. In autumn and spring, go early to catch warm light in the forest or from the château terraces.

• Best seasons: For photography, spring (April–May) brings fresh greens and milky light; autumn (September–October) brings golden foliage, rich colours, and softer angles of sun. Avoid peak summer midday for harsh light.

A Photographer’s Perspective

From behind the lens, Fontainebleau feels like a layered portrait where nature and architecture sit side by side, each enriching the other.

Light & composition

When the sun rises behind the château’s terraces, angle your tripod low to capture the façade lit in soft gold. In the forest, morning mist through the trees diffuses light, and the sandstone boulders catch side-light beautifully—creating textures and shadow play. Late afternoon offers long shadows and warm light through the glades. I found that arriving early (circa 7:30-8 a.m.) meant still-ness, fewer people, and prime light for both the château and forest.

Visual contrasts

One of the richest visual contrasts in Fontainebleau lies in the interplay between the formal geometry of royal gardens and the wild, organic forms of the forest rocks. Imagine an image where a straight canal beside the château leads into a sweeping panorama of the forest behind. Or pair a close-up of carved stucco and ornate gilding in the château with a close-up of moss-covered sandstone textures in the forest—the interplay invites a deeper visual story.

Seasonal notes

• Autumn: Leaves in amber, chestnut, and rust; the forest floor glows. The château’s stone seems warmed by the richer white light.

• Spring: Tender greens, budding leaves, early wildflowers along forest edges. The château against a fresh sky.

• Winter (optional): Though colder and less forgiving, low sun in the forest means long shadows; fewer visitors means cleaner shots of interior rooms in the château.

Local Experience & Cultural Touches

To settle into Fontainebleau is to allow one’s senses to roam beyond the obvious heritage.

Picture this: you emerge from the château into the crisp air of the town square, footsteps echo faintly on cobbles. You pick a café terrace, order a tarte au citron and café crème. A breeze carries the scent of wood-smoke from the chimneys of nearby houses. You stroll to the market, admire artisan cheeses and the patisserie display in the window. Then you wander into a boutique filled with antique fireplaces and French decorative arts, reminiscent of the château’s own interiors. My French Country Home Magazine+1

In the forest the hush deepens: the crunch of leaves underfoot, the high green ceilings of trees, the occasional distant bird-call or rustle of a deer. In autumn, the smell of damp earth and moss, the sight of golden light filtering through branches, the cautious presence of rock-climbers at boulders.

There are also cultural events: for instance, the yearly Festival de l’Histoire de l’Art held at the château since 2011 brings art-history enthusiasts to Fontainebleau. Wikipedia+1 Staying overnight in the countryside villa just outside town or in a historic inn in the town centre gives you the luxury of early-morning or late-evening access to the woods or palace courtyard — magical for ghost-light or star‐rises.

Reflecting on Time, Travel & Light

Walking away from Fontainebleau, camera full of frames and memory full of echoes, I found myself meditating on what this place embodies: a once-royal seat now open to the wandering eye; a forest where the tree rings may out-live a hundred monarchs yet still host the human pause of a photographer’s breath. In the château’s golden galleries and the forest’s shadowy glades, I felt the seams of time—not just history written in stone and stucco, but nature’s own chronicle in sand, leaf and rock.

For any traveller seeking more than a postcard, more than a quick tick of “palace visited,” Fontainebleau offers the kind of daylight (and the kind of quiet) where you might feel that you are not just looking at history and nature—but living inside it. And for the lens of the roaming photographer, that is the richest light of all.

Citations & copyright information

All historical and factual detail has been compiled from publicly available sources:

• “900 years of history — Château de Fontainebleau.” Château de Fontainebleau official site. Château de Fontainebleau+1

• UNESCO World Heritage Centre: “Palace and Park of Fontainebleau.” UNESCO World Heritage Centre

• “The forest — Forêt de Fontainebleau.” Pays de Fontainebleau tourism site. Fontainebleau Tourisme

• “A first-time guide to Fontainebleau, France.” Lonely Planet article. Lonely Planet

• Barbizon School / Forest of Fontainebleau link. The Metropolitan Museum of Art