Antonio Brown on being back in the NFL, what he and Tom Brady have in common, and what he’s learning from Tony Robbins
Brown practiced Wednesday for the first time since signing with the Buccaneers.
Since he last played for an NFL team, Antonio Brown has been sued, arrested, suspended by the league, reinstated, and spent time with self-help guru Tony Robbins.
And now he’s back.
Sporting a TB12 hat and a smile, Brown spoke to the media Wednesday, hours after he practiced with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the first time. He said he’s “extremely grateful to be here with such a great organization” and called his time spent with the team “surreal.”
“Something I don’t take for granted, something I have a great appreciation for, a better perspective about,” he said of being back in the NFL. “To do what I love, man, you know, it’s a blessing.”
Brown is getting another chance after a whirlwind 18 months. He forced a trade to get out of Pittsburgh, and landed in Oakland with coach Jon Gruden. The West Coast experiment lasted just a summer before Brown was released after clashing with his new coach.
It was then that Tom Brady and the Patriots swooped in, signing the former All-Pro wide receiver early in the 2019 season. He played his first and only game with New England in Week 2 before allegations facing Brown caught up with him, and the team let him go.
Multiple women have accused Brown of harassment, and one alleged he raped her, prompting the NFL to investigate Brown. He was handed an eight-game suspension in July, which a league source said was connected to the harassment allegations and a January arrest for an altercation with a moving truck driver hired by Brown. That suspension expired last week.
Throughout it all, Brown has had a persuasive force in his corner: Brady.
“Tom is my boy, one of the greatest leaders to be around,” Brown said. “He’s encouraging, always inspiring, brings out the best of the people around him. He wants the best for everyone around him.”
Brown said that Brady was able to look beyond anything “I’ve done in the past.”
“I just learned a lot from him, you know, how he trains, how he takes care of himself professionally, his discipline, his work ethic, his approach,” said Brown. “He’s been a great guy in my corner and one of my close friends.”
The latter point is no exaggeration: Brown reportedly is living with the Bradys in the Tampa area, although Brown declined to discuss life in Derek Jeter’s former residence on the water.
What is it about Brown that draws Brady so close? Brown sees it clearly: Both players, Brown said, are “late bloomers.” Like Brady, Brown was chosen in the sixth round of the NFL Draft.
“There’s a lot of similarities in our work ethic,” said Brown. “Guys who are supposed to be underachievers, guys who were never supposed to make it.”
In addition to room and board, Brady has offered up some counseling for Brown in the form of Robbins, the motivational speaker and author who seems to be getting his message across to Brown.
“We’re working on myself within, unlocking some positive stuff in my spirit, you know, just being a better person,” Brown said. “A lot of time sitting with him, developing some positive things within, changing my outlook on a couple things, battling and getting away from anger, just being able to stay positive, see the positive things, not letting my emotion or frustration ruin my outlook on what’s in front of me.”
What’s in front of Brown is a second chance. He’s joining a 6-2 Buccaneers team with a top-ranked defense and a clear path to the playoffs. He’s joining an offense stocked with weapons, including Mike Evans, Scotty Miller, and Chris Godwin.
And he’s looking forward to trying to change the perception about him, and prove the naysayers wrong.
“Hopefully I can change their perspective, being around here with great people [in a] great organization,” he said. “Hopefully I can win them over in my actions, how I move forward, and how I handle my business.”
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