Antonio Brown Building On Steelers WR Legacy

The Steelers have a legacy that explains why Steeler Nation is so large, so loyal, and so fierce.  There is an expected way of doing things and when players don’t meet that they usually find themselves not wearing black and gold.  The Rooney’s tend to be loyal and will go to bat for their players, but they don’t have a habit of overpaying or giving long contracts.  They also don’t put up with shenanigans on or off the field.  When 2012 contract negotiations with Mike Wallace began to stall, they cut bait and rewarded Antonio Brown with a 5-year, $42.5M contract. Many sports “reporters” were stunned and wondered how the Steelers would ever get along without Mike Wallace.  As Mike Florio put it:

"The good news is that a Steelers receiver has gotten a new contract.  The bad news is that his name isn’t Mike Wallace.”"

Most Steelers fan didn’t see it that way.  Wallace had not endeared himself to the fans with his whining and pouting (stop me if this sounds familiar…).  I wasn’t sure if Brown would live up to the hype, but I was willing to wait to see what the Steelers saw in him.  I started to grind my teeth during the beginning of the 2012 season when everyone kept saying that now that the Steelers didn’t have Mike Wallace, they were going to have a hard time with whichever opponent they were facing.  However, I was OK with Steelers players being doubted because they seem to be at their best when no one thinks they will succeed.  It’s when there is too much hype or attention that things seem to be off.  Take the loss against the Jets:  During the week prior to the game, Brown was the Belle of the Media Ball for his previous two weeks of spectacular play.  Then, wham-0, two fumbles against the Jets to contribute to an inexplicably horrendous game from the whole team.  Until that game, Brown had no fumbles all year.  However, he put his head down, got back to work, and had a fumble-free game against the Titans.

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That is the Steeler legacy.  No one is bigger than the team, but they all have the ability to make big plays when called upon.  I have three wide receivers that I put in the category who contributed to the legacy before Brown.  Your list may be different, but my list comes not just from stats but from the “Oh wow!” moments that stick with me.

• John Stallworth:  He was a workhorse of a receiver back in the days when the Steelers were better known for their running game.  He played for the Steelers for 14 years under Chuck Noll and is part of building the “Steeler Way” of doing things.  He had 537 receptions for 8723 yards and 63 TDs (according to NFL.com stats).  His catch in Super Bowl XIV ranks 5th in Bleacher Reports Top 5 Super Bowl Catches. It was fun to find that video and watch it again.
• Lynn Swann:  I don’t know what it is, but there was always something about watching Swann and how he made some of those catches.  It was amazing and fun.  He was my favorite player for years because his style of play just stood out to me.  Swann played for the Steelers for 9 years and have 336 receptions for 5462 yards and 51 TDs.  He also had a spectacular Super Bowl catch in SB X that ranks 2nd on the Bleacher Report List.  That is also a great video.
• Hines Ward:  What can you say that hasn’t been said?  I hated when the Steelers cut him, but I understand it is a business.  I love that Hines got to 1000 receptions in his 14 years with the Steelers.  I understand that Ward was not ready to hang up the cleats, but I am somewhat glad he never played for another team.  That’s a selfish thing on my part, but I would have hated to see him in another uniform, business or not.  Ward had 12,083 yards in those 1000 receptions with 85 TDs.  He also had a serious work ethic and if he needed to block, he blocked – hard.  Some have called him a dirty player, You can google that if you are interested but you will seem many polls and other quotes about Ward either being a tough player or a dirty player.  Ravens players often liked to try to get under Ward’s skin with that trash talk.  (Pot:  Hello Kettle!)  Ward stands out in the 2000’s offense for me after a bit of a dry spell in the 80’s and 90’s.  I’m not saying that there weren’t great WR’s, I’m just saying that as I traveled around in the military, I didn’t see enough games for anyone to stick in my mind.  How about his catch from Randle El in Super Bowl XL?  M-V-P!

So, does Brown fit into that legacy?  Well, yes and not yet.  I think he is awesome and I love watching him.  He provides some memorable moments and some not so memorable moments.  I hate the first down ball drop he does.  I wish he would just put his head down and get ready for the next play.  But, it’s his “thing” and I get it.  I also don’t like the penalty from the post TD celebration.  I don’t think that rule is necessary and I like seeing the players celebrate, but I understand how the “No Fun League” felt those celebrations were becoming a distraction.  So, move on AB.

His smile is reminiscent of Hines Ward. OK, so that doesn’t have anything to do with being a great wide receiver, but you can tell he appreciates being out on that field and that goes a long way to being great.  You have to want it.  From a toughness standpoint, he has a great stiff arm when someone is coming after him and he is running with the ball.  Tomlin has endorsed him as being one of the best.  Overall, his stats are pretty impressive for almost five years in the league.  He has 349 receptions for 4722 yards with 24 TDs.  From this year he has 88 receptions for 1161 yards and 10 TDs.  With five games left, he could easily see 500 more yards if he continues averaging 100 yards per game.

Are there other receivers worth watching from the Steelers:  probably.  Yancey  Thigpen and Plaxico Burress get some nods.  I didn’t get to see much of Thigpen due to my not being in the Pittsburgh area while he was playing.  Burress had potential to go all the way with the Steelers, but the shenanigans were too much.  I was happy to see him return and finish with the Steelers but he certainly lost some time for creating a legacy.  I think Wheaton has a shot at really adding to the offense, but that is still to be seen.  So for now, I’m pulling for AB to become GREAT and fit himself into the list of all-time Steeler great wide-receivers.  I’m glad for the bye week to get the players some rest, but I’ll be ready to see the Steelers play the Saints on Nov 30th.