PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – He often would non-answer saying it would be a disservice to his current team to elaborate on his past, but Antonio Brown did have a few interesting tidbits in his media Zoom call on Wednesday at the Super Bowl.
· He stays in touch with a few old Steelers teammates and head coach Mike Tomlin. Brown said Tomlin ‘was always a leader for him’ and ‘always there for him’
· AB’s locker is next to Rob Gronkowski. “It’s super-fun to be around Gronk. Never a dull day. Always a good time with Gronk.”
· What he would tell his rookie self-“I would tell myself to be humble. It’s not about the destination and the journey, more so it’s about having the right company around you. Take nothing for granted. This game could be taken away from you at any moment.”
· Said Tampa Bay was his only chance to prove to doubters and to himself that he is still a high-end football player. Said he never gave up, stayed persistent and made a plan, laying out goals.
· How he was able to get back-“just stayed disciplined. Stayed dedicated to the vision of whatever were my goals in terms of getting back to this moment. Doing the right things.”
· What he changed about himself-“It’s always about controlling your emotion. Not being the sling-shot when others come after you. Learn how to control my attitude. Not letting my emotion get the best of me, even if I felt someone was wrong in doing what they did. Just being forgiving and staying positive.’
· Tampa Bay-“These guys really embraced me. They didn’t let words on the street or what they heard about. They took me in. It’s a tremendous honor to be here. To play with some great guys in the locker room. The coaching staff has embraced me and they welcomed me with open arms. I’m forever grateful for these guys. Pay these guys back with my work ethic, my production and my leadership regards to helping the young guys and everybody here.”
· Tom Brady-“Tom’s been around the game for a long time. People hear about you, see you on TV. To see it in person, to see the details, to see my work ethic, to see everything. We have so much in common. It’s a grateful time to be with him right now. It’s a blessing.”
· Legacy-“A guy that was persistent. A guy that never gave up, no matter the odds, no matter the hate, no matter the scrutiny, no matter what I went through. I want my legacy to be a sixth round kid out of Central Michigan that never gave up. Earned everything he got, a guy who had the will of a champion.”
Antonio seemed humbled and more mature than at times with the Steelers. But he did add this to one of the questions about his past, ‘ask me again after the game’.