By this point in his career, Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown’s work ethic is a thing of common knowledge. It has reached a point that some of his teammates have attempted—and struggled—to keep up with him during the offseason.
This year, there are rumors that the six-year veteran will be following in the footsteps of another Steelers great wide receiver in incorporating some dancing into his offseason. According to an article by Maria Sciullo from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Brown is rumored to be in line to compete in the upcoming season of Dancing With the Stars.
This is, of course, the celebrity dancing competition that former Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward once competed in, and won. Jacoby Jones, who was briefly with the Steelers last year, as well as many other athletes over the years, have tried their hand in the competition as well.
A sly observer, according to Sciullo, took to noticing that Brown recently followed the show, as well Sharna Burgess, one of the professional dancers who works with the celebrities on the show, on social media, leading to rumors that he has at least been in discussions with joining the cast for this upcoming season.
While this is not personally something that I find a great deal of interest in, I know that many others in Steelers Nation will enjoy seeing one of their own compete on the show. After all, there is a body of evidence to support this, as Ward’s progress on the show during his appearance was closely monitored.
But on another level, Brown’s competition on the show can also be a valuable team bonding moment, a rallying spot for teammates to gather during the offseason to cheer on one of their own. When Ward was on the show, many of his teammates, as well as some players from the past, appeared in the audience in support of him.
And it’s not as though Brown is wholly unfamiliar with the concept of dancing in public. In fact, he has perhaps one of the more famous touchdown dance celebrations in the league. Many of his post-scoring celebrations have found their way into digital perpetuity in the form of gifs.
Dancing is clearly something that Brown enjoys doing, and his work ethic and competitive streak will not only not deter him from his day job, but will serve him well in the show if he is indeed to be involved in the competition, so from that perspective, I certainly support him if he chooses to participate in the show.
It will also be a welcome sign to see him engaged and dancing around given the way that his NFL season ended, with a gruesome blow to the head that caused him to suffer concussion symptoms for weeks and resulted in him missing the Steelers’ Divisional round game.
The first episode of the show is set to air on March 21st, but we are sure to know more about the cast before then.
