Before Antonio Brown would get his wish and be released from his contract with the Oakland
Raiders and celebrate the big news via YouTube.
Before Antonio would help the Steelers make it to Super Bowl 49 in 2010.
Before Antonio Brown would be a cross over star appearing in Drake's music video for
God's Plan, go on Dancing With The Stars, The Masked Singer and would be on the cover
of Madden 19.
Before Antonio Brown would clock in 3.6 Million followers on Instagram, 1.5 Million on Twitter,
have a estimated net worth of $30 Million.
Business is Boomin for Antonio Brown – his 1 year deal with the Patriots came with a
reported $9 Million dollar signing bonus and an as much as $15 Million for the year. Not
bad for a kid who found himself homeless in high school.
With little to eat her was bone thin, he was also a quarter back instead of a wide received
and also a local track star.
Not having a stable home life he struggled to keep up the grades needed for an easy ride
via a scholarship. What's worse is that when he did catch a break his attitude would get
him expelled.
He was an all around underdog, smaller than a lot of other players and from a smaller
school. Eventually he was a sixth round draft pick and had to prove himself on the field
to become a starter and eventually a household name.
Now-a-days he's considered the best wide receiver of his time and perhaps on his way to finally
getting a Super Bowl Win with the Patriots. Do you think it'll happen this year? I'd be
interest to hear what you guys think in the comments down below.
What's going on guys? It's your boy Michael McCrudden back at it with an updated video
on your man Antonio Brown here for you on Before They Were Famous or should I say Before
They Were Patriots. Football Season is just starting up so we decided this would be as
a good a video to kick things off with there are 100's of NFL players we've never documented
before here on this channel and we need your requests for who to do next in the comments
down below. If you wanna be part of our little team here, the Fame Gang you can support our
efforts by becoming a channel member or via Patreon. Links down below, now let's get into
this video.
Antonio Brown was born on July 10, 1988 in Miami Florida to parents Adrienne Moss and
father Eddie Brown.
Her grew up with his younger brother Desmond in the rough and tough Liberty City lower
income neighbourhood. Aside from being where Trick Daddy grew up, Liberty City was also
home to NFL players like Eli Rogers, Elvis Dumervil, Artie Burns, Teddy Bridgewater,
Sean Spence, and T. Y. Hilton,
whose father actually coached Antonio as a kid. But his own father would have an even
greater impact on his life.
Antonio's dad, Eddie Brown is widely considered the greatest player in Arena Football League
history nicknamed Touchdown Eddie Brown.
He inspired Antonio to play football, and while in the second grade, he lived with his
famous father in Albany, NY.
But after just one year in Albany, Antonio was sent back to Liberty city, to live with
his mom. He played football at Miami Norland High School, where he was also on the track
team. His parents separated when he was 10 and this led to some turbulant times for young
Antonio. He eventually moved in with his mom and her new man around 2000 but was eventually
evicted from their apartment. This resulted in him becoming homeless for six months during
his final years of high school.
During his senior year of high school, he became so thin at this time that his nickname
was “Boney Tony” but still on the field his talent shinned through.
After high school, Antonio applied to Florida State University, but failed to get in because
of his poor academic history. Still effectively homeless, his former Assistant Coach from
Norland High, James Upton, gave him a place to crash. He stayed with him for a year, and
enrolled at North Carolina Tech Prep to get his test scores up to scratch. At Tech Prep,
he played as a quarterback in just five games, but it was enough to impress the fine folks
at Florida International University, who offered him a scholarship.
But before the football season even started, he got into a fight with security and was
promptly expelled. Another tough break! Thankfully, Zach Azzanni from Central Michigan University
reached out to him, and recruited him to play for CMU. The only thing was, they didn't need
another quarterback. So, if Antonio wanted a spot on the team, he'd have to play as a
wide receiver, something that at the time was out of his particular set of skills.
Not only did Antonio adapt to the new position on field, winning the Mid-American Conference
Freshman of the Year Award and starting in every game during his sophomore season,
he also reconnected with both his parents. In 2010 he was invited to the NFL Combine
and showed his remarkable speed in the 40 yard dash – back then he was much smaller,
seemed humble, no wacky hair do or bleached moustache. He's almost hard to recognize.
For the 2010 NFL Draft Antonio wasn't in attendance at the event so there is no video footage
of his reaction. He was in a hotel watching it on television with his family. His brother
predicted he was going to go to the Steelers as the Buffalo Bills lit up his phone.
The next call was from the Pittsburgh Steelers. There were 21 other wide receivers chosen
before him. Despite his talent, Antonio was not selected until the 6th round, number 195
overall . But feeling like an underdog has been a constant source of motivation for him.
To remind himself that he was a late-round pick, he wears the number 84. Speaking on
this he had stated:
I wear 84 for a reason. Eight times four is thirty two. Thirty two NFL teams passed on
me multiple times-- including the Steelers.
I remember draft day and how I felt sitting in the hotel with my mom, waiting to be picked.
How long it took to hear my name called. Every time I go out there, it's added motivation.
He was excited to get started with Pittsburgh although the money at the start wasn't great.
His first contract was for 3 years worth $1.28 Million dollars and a $73K signing bonus.
Despite the low pay out he'd work hard to prove himself on the field and a catch against
the New York Jets would seal their victory bringing him to the Super Bowl in his rookie
year. Unfortunately for him they would lose to the Green Bay packers. He finished his
rookie season with 16 receptions for 167 yards in ten games.
During his second season, Brown became the first player in NFL history to have more than
1,000 yards receiving and returning in the same year.
In 2013, Brown became the only receiver in NFL history to record five receptions and
at least 50 yards in every single game of an NFL season. He also continued to bulk up,
gain size and impress the world with his workouts.
Off the field Antonio was becoming more and more of a star! His wild haircuts, social
media presence and gigs on television shows only boosted his profile. On the field there
was growing tension between him and Steelers QB Ben Roethisberger.
Antonio requested to be traded, shortly found himself with the Oakland Raiders before he
got dropped and picked up by the Patriots on the very same day.
Dude looks thrilled. Today, Antonio is the father of four kids of his own. He has three
sons and two daughters, Antonio Jr, Autonomy, Ali, and Antanyiah. Shameika Brailsford is
baby mama to his two older kids, and his current girlfriend, Chelsie Kyriss is mother to the
younger two. Like Antonio, she also has two children from a previous relationship, Kellen
and Brooklyn.
Gonna be interesting to see him working with Tom Brady. With Nick Foles out for the season
there should be nothing – absolutely nothing standing in their way for the big W. Let me
know your thoughts in the comments down below.
My name is Michael McCrudden...