Antonio Brown

Antonio Tavaris Brown Sr. (born July 10, 1988), nicknamed "AB", is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL).

He was a two-time Class 6A all-state selection and was also named North Athlete of the Year at 2005 Miami-Dade Gridiron Classic.

Coming out of high school, Brown applied to Florida State University.

His admission was denied over academic concerns.

After attempting to attend Alcorn State, he decided to enroll at North Carolina Tech Prep.

Playing in just five games at quarterback, Brown passed for 1,247 yards and 11 touchdowns, while rushing for 451 yards and 13 touchdowns.

Once he finished his lone season at North Carolina Tech Prep, he received a scholarship to play at Florida International University, but he was expelled before the season for an altercation with security.

Brown then began reaching out to wide receivers coach Butch Jones at West Virginia, since he had been highly recruited by him.

After learning that Jones had left West Virginia to become the head coach at Central Michigan University, Brown enrolled at the school and started his college football career as a walk-on freshman.

Brown is the son of retired Arena Football League star "Touchdown" Eddie Brown, who was named the best player in the league's history in 2006, and Adrianne Moss.

Eddie Brown played wide receiver for the Albany Firebirds and collegiate football for Louisiana Tech.

Brown attended Miami Norland High School in Miami, Florida, where he played football.

In football, Brown played running back, quarterback, wide receiver, and punt returner for the Vikings.

Brown attended and played college football for Central Michigan from 2007 to 2009.

Brown began attending Central Michigan in 2007 after wide receivers coach Zach Azzanni told him he could fly to Michigan and try out for the team as a walk-on wide receiver.

Transitioning from the quarterback position in high school to wide receiver in college was not that difficult for him, and after a few weeks, Central Michigan coaches offered him a scholarship.

Brown had difficulty adjusting to the college lifestyle, and being on time for meetings and practice.

Azzanni and his wife helped him get situated and into an established routine, and he soon became like a part of their family.

He made his collegiate debut against Kansas on September 1.

He had four receptions for 23 receiving yards in the 52–7 loss.

In the next week's game against Toledo, he had nine receptions for 105 receiving yards and his first collegiate touchdown, a six-yard pass from Dan LeFevour, in the 52–31 victory.

He played college football for the Central Michigan Chippewas, where he earned All-American honors in 2008 and 2009 as a punt returner.

Raised in Liberty City, Miami, Brown attended Miami Norland High School.

During Brown's first season with the Steelers, the team advanced to Super Bowl XLV but lost to the Green Bay Packers.

He finished his rookie season with 16 receptions for 167 yards in nine games.

During his second NFL season, he became the first player in NFL history to have more than 1,000 yards receiving and returning in the same year.

A draft steal in the sixth round of the 2010 NFL draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers, Brown is regarded as one of the best receivers of the 2010s, accumulating the most first-team All-Pro selections at his position throughout the decade with four consecutive selections (2014–2017), all as a member of the Steelers.

He amassed more receptions than any other player in the league from his rookie season in 2010 through 2018.

For his efforts, Brown was selected as a punt returner for the 2012 Pro Bowl.

In 2013, his breakout year, he became the only receiver in NFL history to record five receptions and at least 50 yards in every single game of an NFL season.

Although his on-the-field productivity continued over the next several seasons, including leading the league in receptions and receiving yards in 2014, receptions in 2015, receiving yards in 2017, and receiving touchdowns in 2018, Brown's relationship with the Steelers soured, especially with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, and he eventually requested a trade.

In 2019, Brown was traded to the Oakland Raiders, who then made him the highest-paid receiver in the league.

However, his time in Oakland was short-lived.

Following several off-the-field incidents, including a confrontation with general manager Mike Mayock, the team released Brown without him ever playing a regular-season game with the team.

Brown signed with the New England Patriots shortly thereafter but was cut after appearing in just one game.

At the time, the NFL was investigating sexual assault allegations made against him.

After spending the rest of 2019 and beginning of 2020 as a free agent, he signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, with whom he won Super Bowl LV over the Kansas City Chiefs.

He was released near the end of the 2021 season after stripping off his uniform and running off of the field during a game against the New York Jets.

Brown is the president of Donda Sports, Kanye West's sports fashion line.

He also owned a 95% stake in the Albany Empire, an arena football team formerly in the National Arena League (NAL).