Antonio Brown (born July 10, 1988) is an American football wide receiver and punt returner. He had previously played for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL).Brown signed with the Oakland Raiders in 2019.^[44] He played college football at Central Michigan University, where he earned All-American honors in 2008 and 2009 as a punt returner. Brown was selected 195th overall by the Steelers in the sixth round of the 2010 NFL Draft.The Oakland Raiders announced that they released Antonio Brown on August 7,2019 via twitter.^[45] Antonio Brown agreed to terms with the New England Patriots hours after his release from the Raiders.^[46]

Brown attended Miami Norland High School in Miami, Florida, where he was a two-sport athlete in both football and track. In football, Brown played running back, quarterback, wide receiver and punt returner for the Vikings, and ran for 451 yards with 13 touchdowns, while he threw for 1,247 yards and 11 scores in just five games. 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. In track & field, Brown was a two-time state qualifier in the 100-meter dash, and also ran the fourth leg on the Norland 4x100 m relay squad, helping them capture the state title at 41.50 seconds. ^[24] He spent a prep year in 2006 at North Carolina Tech. ^[25] In only 5 games his only year ar North Carolina Tech, he passed for 1,247 yards and 11 touchdowns and rushed for 451 yards and 13 touchdowns. As a returner, he returned 11 kickoffs and 6 punts for touchdowns. ^[26]

Coming out of high school, Brown applied to Florida State University. His admission would be denied over academic concerns. ^[27] After attempting to attend Alcorn State, he decided to enroll at North Carolina Tech. Once he finished his season playing quarterback at North Carolina, he received a scholarship to play at Florida International University but was expelled before the season for an altercation with security. ^[28] Antonio Brown then began reaching out to Coach Butch Jones of West Virginia, since he was highly recruited by him. After learning that Jones had left West Virginia, Brown began attending Central Michigan, where he was a walk-on freshman.

Brown began attending Central Michigan in 2007 after Central Michigan wide receivers coach Zach Azzanni reached out to him and told him he could fly to Michigan, try out for the team, and attempt to walk on. Transitioning from his quarterback position in high school to wide receiver wasn't that difficult for him. After a few weeks, CMU coaches offered him a scholarship. Brown had difficulty with the college lifestyle and being on time for meetings and practice. Azzanni and his wife helped him get situated and established with it and he soon became a part of their family. During his first season at Central Michigan, Brown played in 14 games. He played well enough to win the Mid-American Conference Freshman of the Year and was All-Conference as a returner. For his freshman season he had 102 receptions, 1,003 receiving yards, and 6 receiving touchdowns. ^{[27] [29]}

Brown started every game during his sophomore season in 2008.

Against Temple, he had 3 receptions, 33 receiving yards, and a season high 2 touchdown receptions. On November 28, while playing at Eastern Michigan he had 7 receptions, 1 touchdown, and a season high 172 yards. For the season he amassed 93 receptions, 998 receiving yards, and 7 touchdowns. ^[29]

Against Akron, on September 26, 2009, he had 9 receptions, 89 receiving yards, and a season high 2 touchdowns. Throughout the 2009 season he had 5 games with over 100 receiving yards. For his last regular season game on January 6, 2009 against Troy he would have a season high 13 receptions for 178 yards. This would mark the best season, statistically, that Brown would have. He finished 2009 with career highs of 110 receptions, 1,198 receiving yards, and 9 touchdowns. For his career at Central Michigan, he had 305 receptions, 3,199 receiving yards, and 22 touchdowns. ^[29] On January 7, 2010, he announced he would forgo his senior season and enter the 2010 NFL Draft. ^[30]

Brown announced on January 7, 2010, that he would forgo his senior season and enter the 2010 NFL Draft. ^[24] He was selected by the Steelers 195th overall in the 6th round.

On September 19, 2010, against the Tennessee Titans, Brown made his regular season debut and had 128 yards on 3 returns (2 kickoffs, 1 punt), including an 89-yard touchdown from a reverse on the first play of the game. On October 3, 2010, Brown made his first career catch for 6-yards during a 14–17 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. During a Week 17 contest against the Cleveland Browns, Brown made a season-high 4 catches for 52-yards. In the AFC North Divisional Playoffs against the Baltimore Ravens, Brown caught a 58-yard pass on 3rd & 19 from quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to set up the game-winning touchdown. He finished his first playoff game with a season-high 75-yards on 3 receptions. The following week in the AFC Championship against the New York Jets, at the two-minute warning, Brown caught a 14-yard pass on 3rd & 6, sealing the victory for Pittsburgh. During the Steelers 31–25 Super Bowl XLV loss to the Green Bay Packers, Brown only made one catch for a yard.

On October 30, 2011, Brown had a season-high 9 catches for 67-yards and made his first career touchdown reception in a 25–17 victory over the New England Patriots. Brown received his first career start on November 13, and finished the game with 5 receptions and 86 receiving yards in a game against the Bengals. On December 4, 2011, Brown returned his first punt return for a touchdown against the Bengals, and was also named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week. He made his second start of his career during a Week 14 win over the Cleveland Browns. He ended the game with 5 catches for a season-high 151-yards and also scored a 79-yard touchdown reception.

In 2011, Brown 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 Pro Bowl.

On July 28, 2012, Brown signed a 5-year, $42.5 million extension with the Steelers that included an $8.5 million signing bonus. ^[24] On November 4, 2012, Brown was fined $10,000 by the NFL for unsportsmanlike conduct when he ran backwards for the final 20 yards of a punt return touchdown against the Washington Redskins. ^[24]

Following back-to-back breakout seasons for Brown in 2011–2012, and a contract extension the following year, Mike Wallace would leave via free agency after negotiations for a new extension for himself went unanswered.

On December 22, 2013, Brown broke Yancey Thigpen's team record of 1,398 receiving yards set in 1997. Brown also became only the second Steeler to amass at least 100 receptions in a season, joining former teammate Hines Ward. On December 29, he, along with Pierre Garçon of the Washington Redskins, tied Jimmy Smith as the only players to record at least five receptions in every single game of an NFL season in a win against the Browns, all while becoming the only receiver in NFL history to ever record five receptions for at least 50 yards in every single game of an NFL season. On December 27, 2013, Brown was selected for the Pro Bowl as a receiver and a punt returner. On January 3, 2014, Brown was named to the AP All-Pro team for the first time in his career.

On September 10, 2014, Brown returned a punt against the Cleveland Browns.

During the return, Brown jumped, then kicked the Cleveland Browns' punter, Spencer Lanning, in the face. ^[24] Brown later apologized, claiming it was an accident. On September 11, 2014, Brown was fined $8,200 for kicking the punter. ^[24] On October 20, 2014, Brown threw his first career touchdown pass, a 3-yard pass to Steelers wide receiver Lance Moore. In 2014 Brown led the NFL in receptions, yardage, and was tied for second in touchdowns. Brown has extended his record of recording 5 catches for 50 yards to 32 consecutive regular season games. Browns' 2014 campaign saw him best his franchise-record yardage mark of 1,499 yards by gaining 1,698 yards on 129 catches, the highest total of catches in Steelers' history and second in NFL history, to go with a franchise-record 13 receiving touchdowns.

On September 10, 2015, Antonio Brown caught 9 passes for 133 yards and a touchdown against the Patriots in the first game of the 2015 NFL season.

The following week, Brown caught nine passes for 195 yards and a touchdown against the 49ers.

This brought his career total to 5,587 yards, good for 200th on the NFL's all time receiving yards list.

He also moved past Steelers' legend Lynn Swann on the all-time list.

With 108 yards on 11 catches the following week, Brown was #1 in the NFL for receiving yards by a large margin, but that week, starting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger went down due to injury, and he was replaced with veteran Michael Vick. Brown remained first on the receiving yards list after week 4, where he only had 5 receptions for 42 yards, but he slipped down to third after he only caught 3 catches for 45 yards. On November 8, 2015, Brown caught a career high 17 receptions against the Oakland Raiders for a career high 284 yards, the ninth most single-game receiving yards. Brown also had 22 yards on 2 rushes, finishing the game with 306 yards overall. On December 6, Brown had 3 touchdowns against the Indianapolis Colts, who the Steelers overcame to win 45–10. This game is notable for the play in which Brown returned a punt for a touchdown and then proceeded to leap into the goalpost before hugging it and then falling off of it. He was flagged on the play for excessive celebration. On December 9, he was fined $11,576 by the NFL for embracing with the goalpost. After his 13-reception, 187-yard performance against the Browns in the season finale, he amassed 136 receptions for 1,834 yards and 10 touchdowns – the first two shattering his own team records of 129 catches and 1,698 yards. With the 136 receptions, he set two NFL records: most receptions in a two-year span with 265; and most receptions in a three-year span with 375. Along with his 16 receptions against the Browns, Antonio Brown became the first receiver to post two 16+ catches in a single season, and his four games of 175+ yards in a season is also a NFL record.

Late in the fourth quarter of the Wildcard game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Brown left the game with a concussion after taking a hit by Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict. The injury kept Brown out of the Divisional round, where his team lost 23–16 to the eventual Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos.

2016 season

Brown started the Steelers' season opener against the Washington Redskins and finished the 38–16 victory with eight receptions for 126 yards and two touchdowns.

After the game, the NFL fined him a combined $15,191 for wearing baby blue cleats, which violated the league's uniform policy, and for twerking after scoring his second touchdown.

After performing a similar dance in the end zone in Week 4 against the Kansas City Chiefs, Brown was fined $24,309.

The second fine was largely criticized by sportswriters, who considered it much too steep a penalty for a celebration.

The league reasoned that the dances were "sexually suggestive".[116]

In Week 3, Brown moved into the NFL top 100 all-time for career receptions, and in Week 9, he joined the top 100 for career receiving yards.

In Week 10, Brown caught a season-high 14 passes for a season-high 154 yards and a touchdown in a 35–30 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.

In Week 12, he finished with five receptions for 91 yards and a season-high and career-high three touchdown receptions, as the Steelers routed the Indianapolis Colts 28–7 on Thanksgiving.

He finished the regular season with a total of 106 receptions (second to Larry Fitzgerald) for 1,284 yards and 12 touchdowns in 15 games and 15 starts.

The Steelers decided to sit him for the season finale against the Cleveland Browns as they had already clinched a playoff berth.

With the conclusion of the 2016 regular season, Brown ranked second in career receptions and third in career receiving yards for the Steelers, and 57th and 78th all-time among NFL players in those categories.

In the 2016 season, Brown posted his fourth consecutive and fifth career 1,000+ yard season in receiving yards, earning him his fourth consecutive and fifth career Pro Bowl selection on December 20, 2016.

He was also named First Team All-Pro for the third consecutive time.

He was also ranked fourth by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2017.

On January 8, 2017, Brown caught five passes for 124 yards and two touchdowns in a 30–12 home victory over the Miami Dolphins in their AFC Wild Card Round game.His

two touchdowns of 50 and 62 yards were the first time since 2001 that a player had caught two 50+ yard touchdowns in a single post-season game, the first time ever in the first quarter, and the first time a Steeler had two receiving touchdowns in a Wild Card game. In

the Divisional Round, Brown caught six passes for 108 yards in an 18–16 win over the Chiefs, becoming the third Steeler with four or more 100-yard receiving playoff games. After

the game, Brown broadcast the team's locker room celebration on Facebook Live in violation of NFL rules and despite the requests of teammates Ben Roethlisberger and Ramon Foster to "keep a low profile on social media". The

broadcast included head coach Mike Tomlin speaking crudely about championship round opponent New England, for which Tomlin later apologized and disciplined Brown.Brown had

been paid $244,000 by Facebook before the season to "create content" for live channels.In the AFC

Championship against the Patriots, Brown had seven receptions for 77 yards as the Steelers lost 36–17.For his accomplishments in

the 2017 season, he was ranked fourth on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2017.

2017 season

On February 27, 2017, Brown signed a new five-year contract with the Steelers through the 2021 season.

The contract is a four-year extension worth $68 million ($19 million guaranteed at signing) with a $17 million annual price tag, making Brown the highest paid wide receiver in the NFL.

During Week 1 against the Cleveland Browns, Brown posted a performance with 182 receiving yards on 11 receptions as the Steelers won a close game 21–18.

Brown's 182 receiving yards led all NFL receivers for the season opening week.In

addition, Brown converted all 11 of his targets, which marked a career-high in terms of receptions with a 100% completion rate. During

Thursday Night Football against the Tennessee Titans in Week 11, Brown made a one-handed catch adjacent to his helmet in the endzone for a touchdown. Overall,

he made 10 receptions for 144 receiving yards and three touchdowns as the Steelers won 40–17,joining John Stallworth as the only Steelers player with two career games with 3+ receiving touchdowns.For his

performance in Week 11, Brown was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week.During Sunday Night

Football against the Green Bay Packers in Week 12, Brown recorded 169 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns, including two sideline receptions for 37 yards in the final 17 seconds to set up the game-winning field goal.He became the fifth

player since the 1970 merger with four 150+ yard receiving games in the first 12 weeks of a season. Plagued with a minor

toe injury,During Sunday Night Football against the Ravens in Week 14, Brown finished with a season-high 213 receiving yards, helping the Steelers win 39–38 and clinch a playoff berth for the AFC North pennant. His 213-yard performance marked

the second time in his career with at least 200 receiving yards in a single game.During Week 15 against the

New England Patriots, Brown left the game with a left calf injury, and was taken to the hospital. Shortly after the Steelers' 27–24

loss to the AFC East-clinching Patriots, it was revealed that Brown's left calf was partially torn, meaning that he would not play for the rest of the regular season, but would at least return during the playoffs.[148] He returned in the Divisional Round of the playoffs, recording seven catches for 132 yards and two touchdowns as the Steelers went on to lose 45–42 to the Jaguars.

Brown finished the 2017 season leading the league with 1,533 receiving yards for the second time in his career.

He also finished fifth in the league with 101 receptions and tied for fourth in the league with nine touchdown receptions.[150] He was named to his sixth Pro Bowl, and was named first-team All-Pro as a unanimous selection.He

was ranked the second best player, as well as the best wide receiver, on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2018.

2018 season

On September 9, 2018, in the season opener against the Cleveland Browns, Brown reached 10,000 career receiving yards in the 21–21 tie.

He achieved the milestone in 116 career games, and only one NFL player (Calvin Johnson in 115 games) had reached the mark in fewer career games.

In the game, Brown had nine catches for 93 yards and a touchdown.In

Week 5 against the Atlanta Falcons, Brown had six catches for 101 yards and two touchdowns in the 41–17 victory. In

Week 6 against the Cincinnati Bengals, Brown had five catches for 105 yards and caught the game-winning touchdown with 10 seconds left in the fourth quarter.Brown was

also a victim of a dirty hit from Vontaze Burfict in the game. In Week

11, against the Jacksonville Jaguars, he had five receptions for 117 yards and a touchdown in the narrow 20–16 victory.In Week 13,

on NBC Sunday Night Football, he had 10 receptions for 154 yards and a touchdown in the 33–30 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on NBC Sunday Night Football. During Week 16

against the New Orleans Saints, Brown finished with 185 receiving yards and two touchdowns as the Steelers lost 28–31. Overall, Brown finished

the 2018 season with 104 receptions for 1,297 and a career-high 15 touchdowns.

After allegedly getting into an argument with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, then skipping practices leading up to the week 17 game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Brown was benched for that game.Following

the season, reports surfaced indicating Brown's dissatisfaction with his role on the Steelers, and he eventually requested a trade.

Oakland Raiders

On March 9, 2019, the Steelers agreed to trade Brown to the Oakland Raiders in exchange for a third and a fifth-round selection in the 2019 NFL Draft.

The deal became official on March 13, 2019.

On March 8, 2016, Brown was announced as one of the celebrities who will compete on season 22 of Dancing with the Stars . He was paired with professional dancer Sharna Burgess. ^[24] Brown and Burgess were eliminated during the semifinals of the show and finished the competition in 4th place overall.

1 Score by guest judge Zendaya. 2 Score by guest judge Maksim Chmerkovskiy. 3 Double elimination week. 4 Antonio and Sharna teamed up with Paige VanZant and Mark Ballas to perform a dance designed and coached by Carrie Ann Inaba. 5 To avoid favoritism, the judges were unable to score their own teams; instead the general public scored the team-up dances on a scale of 1 - 10, and the average score was counted among the remaining judges. 6 Danced with professional troupe member Hayley Erbert in addition to Sharna Burgess.

Brown is the son of retired Arena Football League star Eddie Brown, who is considered the best Arena League football player of all time. His father played wide receiver for the Albany Firebirds and collegiate football for Louisiana Tech. Additionally, he is the cousin of New York Jets wide receiver Kenbrell Thompkins.

He has four children; sons Antonio Brown Jr., Autonomy Brown, and Ali Brown, as well as a daughter, Antanyiah Brown.

^[24]

Brown grew up in the Liberty City section of Miami where he played for T.Y. Hilton's father as a kid. He says as a youth he lacked guidance after leaving home due to conflicts with his stepfather. During his senior year of high school, during a 6-month stretch, he moved around, staying on whatever friend's couches he could find. At one point he even stayed with Norland Assistant Coach James Upton, during his year at North Carolina Tech Prep. He was so thin in high school that his nickname was "Boney Tony". ^[27]