Antonio Brown Tells Former NFL Star There's 'Nothing Wrong' With His Mental Health
By John P. Wise/KDKA-TV
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Former Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown is still in the spotlight nearly three weeks after his bizarre final play as a Tampa Bay Buccaneer.
Brown removed has helmet, shoulder pads and jersey, and ran off the field shirtless in a game against the New York Jets on Jan. 2.
The Buccaneers released him days later, but the reason for his outburst remains unclear. Bucs coach Bruce Arians said Brown refused to get into the game when called upon. Brown has said he told Arians he didn't feel well enough to get back out onto the field because of an injured ankle.
Outside speculation has swirled about Brown's mental health, which he addressed on a podcast called "I Am Athlete," co-hosted by former NFL star Brandon Marshall.
"Everyone in the world got a different form of reactions of what happened to him," Brown said on the podcast. "And it's all based upon where you from, how you feel, and no one really gonna know that regardless of who you is. The thing with football players, mental health and CTE is this: These guys are willing to do whatever it take to make some obligated gain. But there in the midst of those gains, along that journey, they're being mistreated. It's a lot of stuff that went on that may not have been handled right. And then you started your career on a high. It's like a roller coaster. You go up, and then as soon as it about to go down, everyone leave ... If we all players and we all saying we care about mental health, why every time something happens bad or how someone react, 'Aw, he's crazy, there's something wrong with his mental health.' There's nothing wrong with my mental health."
Watch the preview clip of the episode below. The story continues below the video.
Marshall seems a good pairing for Brown. Marshall also was a star NFL receiver whose behavior was questionable at times, although he earned league-wide praise, if not national praise, late in his career for speaking publicly about his own mental health struggles.
Regarding a possible return to the NFL, Brown recently told Complex.com that "a couple teams" have expressed interest.
The full episode is scheduled to be released on Youtube on Monday at noon.
