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). 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.[1] He amassed more receptions than any other player in the league from his rookie season in 2010 through 2018.[2] 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.
For the former NFL player who played for the Buffalo Bills and Washington Redskins in the 2000s, see Antonio Brown (wide receiver, born 1978).No. 84, 17, 81
July 10, 1988
Miami, Florida, U.S.
5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
185 lb (84 kg)
Central Michigan (2007–2009)
2010 / Round: 6 / Pick: 195
928
928
12,291
83
2,934
5
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. 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.[3]
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.[4] He also owned a 95% stake in the Albany Empire, an arena football team formerly in the National Arena League (NAL).
Early life
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.[5][6] Eddie Brown played wide receiver for the Albany Firebirds and collegiate football for Louisiana Tech.[7]
High school career
Miami Norland High School
Brown attended Miami Norland High School in Miami, Florida, where he played football.[8] In football, Brown played running back, quarterback, wide receiver, and punt returner for the Vikings.[9] 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.
North Carolina Tech Prep
Coming out of high school, Brown applied to Florida State University. His admission was denied over academic concerns.[10]
After attempting to attend Alcorn State, he decided to enroll at North Carolina Tech Prep.[11][12] Playing in just five games at quarterback, Brown passed for 1,247 yards and 11 touchdowns, while rushing for 451 yards and 13 touchdowns.[13] 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.[14] 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.[15]
Other ventures
Television appearances
On March 8, 2016, Brown was announced as one of the celebrities who competed on season 22 of Dancing with the Stars. He was paired with professional dancer Sharna Burgess.[281] Brown and Burgess were eliminated during the semifinals of the show and finished the competition in fourth place overall.[282]
On January 2, 2019, Brown took part on the first season of The Masked Singer as "Hippo" where he sang "My Prerogative" by Bobby Brown. He was eliminated in the first episode.[283]
Music
In 2018, he appeared in recording artist Drake's music video for "God's Plan".[284]
In January 2020, Brown began releasing music under his initials AB; his debut single was "Whole Lotta Money".[285] Later, in January 2022, Brown released "Pit Not The Palace" hours after he ran off the field during a Buccaneers–Jets game.[286]
Business
Since February 2022, Brown has been the president of Kanye West's sports fashion line which is part of West's creative content company Donda Sports.[287]
Personal life
Brown is the father of four sons and two daughters.[288] He has three sons and a daughter with Chelsie Kyriss, and two other children by two other women.[289][290]
In September 2019, Brown re-enrolled for online classes at his alma mater, Central Michigan University.[291] During his first month of class, Brown was the target of ridicule after he asked his 6.2 million Twitter followers for help proofreading an English paper, which was due that evening, in a tweet with several spelling and grammar errors.[292][293] In December 2023, Brown announced on his X account that he had graduated from Central Michigan.[294]
Brown is the cousin of Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Marquise Brown, who was drafted in 2019,[295] as well as former wide receiver Kenbrell Thompkins.[296]
Legal issues
During and prior to the 2018 season, Brown was embroiled in numerous incidents in addition to causing tension within the Steelers organization. This included tossing furniture out of his 14th-floor apartment window in April, nearly hitting a 22-month-old toddler on the patio below,[297] and being cited for speeding, driving in excess of 100 miles per hour (160 km/h) along a suburban Pittsburgh road.[298] Brown was later sued for the April incident,[299] and reached a settlement with the family of the child in April 2019.[300] In February 2019, a judge ruled him guilty of reckless driving in the speeding incident, and Brown received a fine.[301]
On September 10, 2019, Brown's former trainer, Britney Taylor, filed a lawsuit alleging he sexually assaulted her on three occasions. She claimed that he exposed himself to her and raped her. Brown and his legal team denied the allegations.[302][303] On September 18, the Allegheny County district attorney's office announced Brown would not be prosecuted because Taylor's accusations were outside of the statute of limitations. The civil suit continued.[304] On September 16, a second woman accused him of sexual misconduct. Separately, Victor Prisk, a Pittsburgh-based doctor, who was treating Brown while with the Steelers, also sued Brown for "farting in his face" and $11,500 in unpaid fees in 2018.[305] A settlement between Brown and Taylor was agreed upon in April 2021.[306]
On January 13, 2020, following several domestic incidents in which police were called to Brown's home in Hollywood, Florida, the Hollywood Police Department stated they no longer want Brown to be associated with their youth league (PAL). The Hollywood police department returned a check from Brown and issued a trespass order preventing him from being involved with their youth league while saying in a statement, "We do not want him to continue to affect our youth, or influence them in a negative way."[307] Days later on January 21, it was reported that Brown and an accomplice had attacked a moving truck driver at the home. Glenn Holt, working as Brown's trainer was arrested, while a warrant for Brown's arrest was issued a day later with a felony charge of battery and burglary.[308] He turned himself in a night later on January 23.[309] Brown was officially charged with felony burglary of a vehicle, misdemeanor battery, and misdemeanor criminal mischief on March 20, 2020.[310] On June 12, 2020, Brown pleaded no contest to the felony battery and burglary charges and received two years of probation. He was also ordered to undergo 100 hours of community service, a 13-week anger management counseling program, and a psychological evaluation.[311]
On October 1, 2022, Brown encountered further controversy after it was reported that he exposed himself to a woman at the Armani Hotel in Dubai. The alleged incident occurred on May 14, 2022, with Brown exposing himself and becoming physical with a female guest in a pool.[312][313][314]
On December 1, 2022, Tampa police attempted to serve Brown with an arrest warrant on domestic violence charges related to an incident with his ex-fiancée on November 28, in which he threw a shoe at her during an argument with her.[315][316]
On January 17, 2023, Brown's Snapchat account was suspended after he posted an explicit photo of a woman performing oral sex on him.[317][318]
On April 14, 2023, an arrest warrant was issued for Brown for failing to make child support payments. Brown's attorney claimed that he paid over $30,000 in child support after the arrest warrant was issued and that the matter was cleared up.[319][320] In August 2023, an arrest warrant was issued when Brown missed $15,000 in child support payments.[321]
On June 3, 2023, Brown was reportedly asked to leave a Holiday Inn Express hotel in Albany where the Empire was staying. A source told the Times Union that the hotel asked Brown to leave due to complaints of loud music and marijuana smoking. No criminal charges were filed against Brown.[322]
On August 22, 2023, an arrest warrant was issued to Brown for failing to pay child support. A Miami-Dade County judge ruled Brown's arrest on August 9, 2023, for missing a $15,000 payment to Wiltrice Jackson, Brown's ex-girlfriend and mother of one of his daughters.[323] Following the report of his arrest warrant, Brown went on a social media rant calling out the media, claiming his arrest warrant wasn't real, and also called out former Steeler Ryan Clark saying ""Fu** the b*tch ass reporter who ever wrote the story! You Mf don't know shit about me ! Where I came from what I been through!! Ryan Clark been a bitch in media say things then apologize next AB name drop we gone strike yo ass boy".[324]
On August 29, 2023, Brown claimed that his behavior stems from his issues from battling CTE, a neurodegenerative disease. "My CTE acting up F*** all y'all whoever played on my name" Brown said in response to reporters calling him crazy. Brown also again denied there was a warrant out for his arrest.[325]
On October 15, 2023, Brown was arrested by the Broward County Sheriff's Office for unpaid child support and released on a $15,000 bond.[326]