9781422277201

Gridiron Greats PRO FOO TBA L L’ S BES T PL AY ERS

by Joe L . Morgan

Gridiron Greats PRO FOO TBA L L’ S BES T PL AY ERS

Aaron Rodgers Antonio Brown DrewBrees J.J. Watt Julio Jones Rob Gronkowski RussellWilson

Tom Brady Von Miller

Gridiron Greats PRO FOO TBA L L’ S BES T PL AY ERS

by Joe L . Morgan

MASON CREST

Mason Crest 450 Parkway Drive, Suite D Broomall, Pennsylvania 19008 (866) MCP-BOOK (toll-free) www.masoncrest.com Copyright © 2019 by Mason Crest, an imprint of National Highlights, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission from the publisher. First printing 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 ISBN (hardback) 978-1-4222-4069-4

ISBN (series) 978-1-4222-4067-0 ISBN (ebook) 978-1-4222-7720-1 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Morgan, Joe L., author. Title: Antonio Brown / Joe L. Morgan. Description: Broomall, Pennsylvania : Mason Crest, an imprint of National Highlights, Inc., [2018] | Series: Gridiron greats: Pro football’s best players. Identifiers: LCCN 2018020754 (print) | LCCN 2018022744 (ebook) | ISBN 9781422277201 (eBook) | ISBN 9781422240694 (hardback) | ISBN 9781422240670 (series) Subjects: LCSH: Brown, Antonio, 1988—-Juvenile literature. | Wide receivers (Football)—United States—Biography—Juvenile literature. | Football players—United States—Biography—Juvenile literature. | Pittsburgh Steelers (Football team)—History—Juvenile literature. Classification: LCC GV939.B733 (ebook) | LCC GV939.B733 M67 2018 (print) | DDC 796.332092 [B] —dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018020754 Developed and Produced by National Highlights Inc. Editor: Andrew Luke Interior and cover design: Jana Rade, impact studios Production: Michelle Luke

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Contents

Further Reading . . . . . . . . . 74 Internet Resources . . . . . . . 75 Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 Photo Credits . . . . . . . . . . 79 Educational Video Links & Author Bio . . . . . . . . . . . 80

Chapter 1: Greatest Moments . . . .7 Chapter 2: The Road to the Top . . 21 Chapter 3: On the Field . . . . . . 35 Chapter 4: Words Count . . . . . 45 Chapter 5: Off the Field . . . . . . 61 Series Glossary of Key Terms . . 72

KEY ICONS TO LOOK FOR:

Words to Understand: These words with their easy-to-understand definitions will increase the reader’s understanding of the text while building vocabulary skills.

Sidebars: This boxed material within the main text allows readers to build knowledge, gain insights, explore possibilities, and broaden their perspectives by weaving together additional information to provide realistic and holistic perspectives. Educational Videos: Readers can view videos by scanning our QR codes, providing them with additional educational content to supplement the text. Examples include news coverage, moments in history, speeches, iconic sports moments and much more! Text-Dependent Questions: These questions send the reader back to the text for more careful attention to the evidence presented there.

Research Projects: Readers are pointed toward areas of further inquiry connected to each chapter. Suggestions are provided for projects that encourage deeper research and analysis.

Series Glossary of Key Terms: This back-of-the book glossary contains terminology used throughout this series. Words found here increase the reader’s ability to read and comprehend higher-level books and articles in this field.

WORDS TO UNDERSTAND consecutive – following one after the other in order inductee – a person who has been selected, drafted, or placed into an organization or an organization’s place of honor special teams – a unit of a football team that handles all of the punting and kicking duties

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Gridiron Greats: Pro Football’s Best Players

Chapter 1

Greatest Moments

Antonio Brown, number 84 for the Pittsburgh Steelers, played the eighth season of his professional career in 2017. He is one of the best wide receivers in the NFL and in the long and storied history of the Steelers. He caught passes for more than 1,000 receiving yards in six of his first eight NFL seasons, including five consecutive seasons from 2013–2017. He also has five seasons in a rowwith at least 100 pass receptions in a season. ANTONIO BROWN’S NFL CAREER The types of numbers that Brown has put up are nothing less than remarkable. A player drafted 195th in the 2010 NFL Draft from Central Michigan University, Brown has risen to the top of the heap as a premier receiver and player in the league. He was drafted behind wide receivers such as Dez Bryant (Dallas Cowboys) and Golden Tate (Detroit Lions). What Brown has been able to accomplish at the position is remarkable given that the Steelers did not select him until the 6th round of the draft.

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Chapter 1: Greatest Moments

A TALE OF THE TAPE: BROWN VS. JERRY RICE Atruemeasureof justhowgoodAntonioBrown’s career has been can be gained by stacking his career numbers for his first seven years against arguably the greatest player in the history of the game, Hall of Fame wide receiver Jerry Rice. Antonio Brown caught more passes in his first seven years in the league than Jerry Rice (632 for Brown versus 526 for Rice), and accumulated nearly as many yards receiving as Rice (8,377 for Brown versus 9,072 for Rice). To be compared with and have similar receiving statistics to Rice places Brown in a very elite group of football players. His current consecutive 100-receptions seasons (2013–2017) puts him ahead of former Indianapolis Colt standout and 2016 Hall of Fame inductee Marvin Harrison and places him ahead of other great receivers of the game like Brandon Marshall, Wes Welker, Herman Moore, and, of course, Jerry Rice, who all posted just three consecutive seasons with 100 or more catches.

Brown’s statistics for his first seven seasons are remarkably comparable to those of Hall of Famer and all-time great wide receiver Jerry Rice.

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Gridiron Greats: Pro Football’s Best Players

THE FOLLOWING IS A LIST OF SOME OF THE CAREER FIRSTS AND GREATEST ACHIEVEMENTS OF ANTONIO BROWN. Brown’s Greatest Career Moments

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Chapter 1: Greatest Moments

First Kick Return Touchdown The 6th-round draft selection fromCentral Michigan University received an opportunity to show the Steelers (and every other team in the NFL) why he was destined to become a special player. In a game against the Tennessee Titans in his rookie season (September 19, 2010), Brown took a reverse handoff on a trick play on the opening kickoff. He was able to run up the right side of the field 97 yards for his first career touchdown. For the game, Brown had 3 kickoff or punt returns for a total of 128 yards. His efforts contributed to a 19–11 Steelers’ victory over the Titans.

In Pittsburgh’s second game of the 2010 season, Antonio Brown took a game opening kick return 97 yards for a touchdown, September 19, 2010, against the Tennessee Titans.

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Gridiron Greats: Pro Football’s Best Players

First Punt Return Touchdown During the 2011 season, Brown saw plenty of action as a wide receiver but was still highly regarded as a special teams player and dangerous return man. The Steelers played division foe, the Cincinnati Bengals, on December 4, 2011. In this game, Brown fielded a 60-yard punt from the midfield area and scored his first career punt return touchdown.

Brown returns a punt in what would become part of a 28-point scoring quarter for the Steelers, who would go on to rout the Cincinnati Bengals 35–7, December 4, 2011.

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Chapter 1: Greatest Moments

First Receiving Touchdown Antonio Brown caught his first touchdown pass as a wide receiver in a game against the New England Patriots on October 30, 2011. In the 2nd quarter, with 2:48 left before halftime, Brown caught a 7-yard pass fromquarterback Ben Roethlisberger for the score. The touchdown catch was Brown’s first of more than 50 career touchdowns.

Antonio Brown catches a pass that he takes 7 yards for a touchdown against the New England Patriots on October 30, 2011, his first as a wide receiver.

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Gridiron Greats: Pro Football’s Best Players

First Playoff Touchdown Reception It was not until well into Antonio Brown’s career, after six previous playoff games, that he finally caught his first playoff touchdown pass. On a pass for the Steelers in the 1st quarter of the game, Brown caught the ball in the flat on the left side of the field fromBen Roethlisberger. Brown took the pass atmidfield andwas able to avoid several defenders as he raceddown the left sideline for what wouldbe a 50-yard touchdown reception. Thiswas the first of two touchdown

catches Brown had in the game that ended in a30–12victoryover the Miami Dolphins. Brown

had a total of 5 receptions in the game for 124 yards to go with his 2 receiving touchdowns for the day.

Antonio Brown takes a pass at midfield from quarterback Ben Roethlisberger that goes for a 50-yard score versus the Miami Dolphins on January 8, 2017.

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Chapter 1: Greatest Moments

First 100-Reception Season Antonio Brown achieved the landmark of 100 receptions in a season during a game against the Green Bay Packers on December 22, 2013. Brown’s fifth catch of the game gave him 100 catches for the season, as he would finish with 6 catches for 105 yards as his Steelers beat the Packers by a score of 38–31. He also had punt and kickoff returns for 41 yards to add to his all-purpose yardage of 146. The 2013 season would mark the first of five seasons in a row inwhich Brown caught 100 or more passes.

Highlights of many of Antonio Brown’s catches in 2013 that helped him earn the first 100-reception season of his career.

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Gridiron Greats: Pro Football’s Best Players

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