Antonio Brown has had a change of heart. Now part owner of the Arena League’s Albany Empire alongside his dad Eddie Brown, AB tweeted something you might not expect from him last night.
Saturday evening, he shared this tweet, noting that as an owner, he realizes “no one is bigger than the Team,” a perspective he didn’t have as a player.
“As a owner I finally see now why it’s important to make everyone know no one is bigger than the Team ‘! As a player I always thought opposite !”
It’s a 180 degree perspective changed based on how the final few years of his NFL career unfolded. Those were all about AB. Controversial, chaotic, and never knowing what to expect, he was in the news for the wrong reasons the second he requested a trade out of Pittsburgh. After being shipped off to the Las Vegas Raiders, Brown had issues his his helmet, burned his feet, nearly came to blows with GM Mike Mayock, and danced around after being released by the team without playing a down.
From there, he spent one game in New England, had a host of serious legal issues, found temporarily stability in Tampa Bay, before ruining that with an epic in-game tirade that saw him play his final NFL down.
Now, at least publicly, Brown has a different view after being a part owner of the Empire. The team is about to enter its third season and has been wildly successful so far, winning the NAL Championship its first two years in the league. Brown’s father Eddie was a star for the Albany club, then known as the Firebirds, back in the 90s. The team’s new seasons kicks off on the 16th.
While Brown is unpredictable and has a CVS-list of history and baggage, this tweet is at least encouraging that he’s understanding the game on a bigger and more level-headed picture. If only he had known it five years ago. If he had, Brown probably would still be in the NFL, would’ve made dump trucks of money, and been celebrated as one of the best receivers in NFL history.
