The Pittsburgh Steelers have had numerous talented players throughout the years, but maybe none better than wide receiver Antonio Brown. Brown was on pace to potentially be the greatest receiver in NFL history before he ran himself out of town. Early on, there may have been signs that Brown was going to be too much of a loose cannon. As former Steelers safety Ryan Clark explains, one training camp practice was evidence of that, right after Brown received his first long-term deal.
On a recent episode of his podcast The Pivot, Clark and co-hosts Channing Crowder and Fred Taylor recalled their most notable memories from training camp. Clark’s memory was of a practice in 2012 when Brown mouthed off to the Steelers’ defense.
“He gets his money, we’re doing one-on-ones,” Clark said about Brown. “Keenan [Lewis] is playing defense on him, and he routing Keenan up. I’m talking about killing him, so Keenan holding him now. He’s like, ‘Tell him not to hold me. I’m the franchise.’ He talking big, so Coach LeBeau, who never really says anything, he’s like, ‘Man, get to the huddle.’ So, he cussed Coach LeBeau out, and then you know Ike [Taylor said], ‘Dickie? He goin’ cuss Dickie?'”
Looking at the way Brown acted later in his career, this wouldn’t even be categorized in the 10 most unbelievable things he’s done. It pales in comparison to him stripping off his jersey and running off the field in the middle of a game, but at the time, talking to LeBeau like that was sacrilegious. Those players all still love LeBeau to this day and disrespecting him like that was out of the question.
Clark explained he got in Brown’s face to talk back at him, firing up the Steelers’ defense the rest of the afternoon.
“I was telling him, ‘This is gonna be it. You are never gonna spend any of that money because I’m gonna finish it today.’ I remember, we’re fired up, and Troy [Polamalu] looked at me. And he never snapped his helmet, and he always had his hair in a bun, and he [snapped on his helmet]. It’s a different type of day now. Now we blitzing, I’m flipping running backs that trying to get to me. Troy slinging Ben around. We fighting every snap. We lost total control of it.”
If you’ve made Polamalu angry, you’re in the wrong. It’s as simple as that. Brown was doing enough antics that Polamalu and the rest of the defense felt the need to treat that practice like a real game. Considering the names that were on that defense, that was not going to end well for the offense, and it’s a shame it had to get to that point.
Brown was a young player, only entering his third year in the league, but treating your coaches like that is still inexcusable. Brown and Taylor ended up coming to blows during that practice, needing to be separated. It’s certainly not the way a cohesive team with Super Bowl aspirations should treat each other. As Clark explains, it was not a typical Steelers practice.
“That’s a day of football I will never forget,” he said. “In all of my years, it’s the most physical day of practice I’ve ever seen.”
Considering that Steelers defense had players like Polamalu, James Farrior, and James Harrison on it, that practice being the most physical Clark experienced speaks volumes. It’s apparent Brown’s me-first attitude was always present and was only brought to the surface more as his career went on. He was incredibly talented and dedicated to his craft, but outbursts like the one at LeBeau are the reason why locker rooms soured on him.
Based on Clark’s story, it seems Brown allowed money to change him, acting like the hopes of the franchise rested on him. In reality, that Steelers defense had just won a Super Bowl four years prior and had lost one just two years after that. True, they were getting older, but they still deserved the respect of younger players. For any team to win a Super Bowl, everyone needs to be on the same page. It’s about the collective, not any singular piece.
The Steelers have dealt with players with bad attitudes since that incident, but recently, it’s become less and less of a problem. Mike Tomlin’s mantra of wanting volunteers, not hostages, seems to have cleared the way. It’s alright for players like Brown to brag and talk trash when they’re the best in the world, but there’s lines players can’t cross. Brown did and the Steelers’ defense let him and the offense know about it.
