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$20,000,000 Antonio Brown Looks Back at His Central Michigan Years That Shaped His Rollercoaster Career: “I Had to Be a Man…”

Published 06/25/2023, 9:46 AM EDT

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Antonio Brown never thought he would go on to have a sporting career when he was young. When he was growing up, he experienced traumatic events in his home and outside it. With reports suggesting some of his friends were killed early on.

Brown has managed to get embroiled in controversy even though he avoided it in his early life. This has seen quite some controversies surround Antonio Brown in the NFL in recent years. The controversies ranged from alleged domestic abuse to Brown walking off the pitch mid-game in 2022. AB has come quite some distance despite bouncing around in his early days.

Antonio Brown’s troubled childhood

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The former Steelers WR was recently on Tyreek Hill’s podcast and shared details of his early life. Brown talked about how he would never be like the kids who had their mom and dad. As Brown would hop around with his mother and stepdad in Miami. He did not have his future laid out for him like many others with whom he went to college at Central Michigan Chippewas.

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AB shares, “I had to bounce around my mom had a little drama my dad out of town and stepdad. I’m probably jacking them up so I had to be a man at a young age.” Brown goes on to add the options that he had to choose from when he was young. AB recalls, “You either go to college anywhere, you could go to uh change your life or, either you get caught up with the wrong crowd.

After finishing college in the 2010s with the Central Michigan Chippewas. Brown would be drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the sixth round, with whom he would spend the majority of his career. Antonio overcame the difficulties and hurdles he faced earlier in life. And used the experience to galvanize himself and build a strong career.

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AB turned his career around despite early troubles

Antonio Brown has been an inspiration to many with his early life being one of the biggest examples for many aspiring footballers. Although he has attracted news and rumors even to this day, it does not take away anything from his career. Brown was one of the top WR during his time at the Pittsburgh Steelers. He would win his solitary Super Bowl title with the Bucs in 2021 as they defeated Kansas City Chiefs.

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But that was not all Brown garnered during his time in the NFL. He would add 4 consecutive All-Pro titles to his name, between 2014 and 2017. He topped it off with 7 Pro Bowls between 2011 and 2018, winning the award in all but one year. His achievements with the Steelers and then with Bucs paved the way for his stature as one of the greats in the NFL. Antonio Brown divides opinion in any discussion. He is one of the great WR who won a super bowl at his peak. And he has gone on to turn his early life around to a successful NFL career. The controversies and downfall once saw him compare himself to an NBA legend.

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Watch This Story – Controversial NFL star Antonio Brown’s kids steal the spotlight with their adorable muscle display

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Written by:

Kushal Jain

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Kushal Jain is an NFL writer at EssentiallySports. Having started off writing as a hobby when he was 19, it has snowballed into becoming his full time profession. He is a passionate football fan, or as per the US etymology, soccer fan.
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Edited by:

Nidhi