Antonio Tavaris Brown Sr. (born July 10, 1988) is an American football wide receiver for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). Raised in Liberty City, Miami, Brown attended Miami Norland High School where he competed in both football and track. He played college football at Central Michigan University, where he earned All-American honors in 2008 and 2009 as a punt returner. A sixth round pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2010, no player has amassed more receptions and receiving yards than Brown since he entered the league.[1]
During his first season with the Steelers, the team advanced to Super Bowl XLV, but lost to the Green Bay Packers. He finished his rookie season with 16 receptions for 167 yards in ten games. During his second season, Brown became the first player in NFL history to have more than 1,000 yards receiving and returning in the same year. For his efforts, Brown was selected as a punt returner for the 2012 Pro Bowl. In 2013, Brown became the only receiver in NFL history to record five receptions and at least 50 yards in every single game of an NFL season. Although his on-the-field productivity continued over the next several seasons, including leading the league in receiving yards in 2014 and 2017, Brown's relationship with the Steelers, especially with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, soured and in 2019 he requested a trade.
He was eventually dealt to the Oakland Raiders, who then made him the highest-paid receiver in the league. His time in Oakland was short-lived, however, and following several off-the-field incidents, including a confrontation with general manager Mike Mayock, the team released Brown without him ever playing a regular season game. He signed with the Patriots later that same day.
Early life
Brown is the son of retired Arena Football League star Eddie Brown; in 2006, the league named Eddie Brown the best player in its history.[2] He played wide receiver for the Albany Firebirds and collegiate football for Louisiana Tech.[3]
High school career
Miami Norland High School
Brown attended Miami Norland High School in Miami, Florida, where he was a two-sport athlete in both football and track.[4] In football, Brown played running back, quarterback, wide receiver, and punt returner for the Vikings.[5] He was a two-time Class 6A all-state selection and was also named North Athlete of the Year at 2005 Miami-Dade Gridiron Classic. In track & field, Brown was a two-time state qualifier in the 100-meter dash, and also ran the fourth leg on the Norland 4 × 100 m relay squad, helping them capture the state title at 41.50 seconds.[6] He spent a prep year in 2006 at North Carolina Tech.[7][8]
North Carolina Tech Prep
Coming out of high school, Brown applied to Florida State University. His admission was denied over academic concerns.[9]
After attempting to attend Alcorn State, he decided to enroll at North Carolina Tech Prep. Playing in just five games at quarterback, Brown passed for 1,247 yards and 11 touchdowns, while rushing for 451 yards and 13 touchdowns.[10] Once he finished his lone season at North Carolina Tech Prep, he received a scholarship to play at Florida International University, but he was expelled before the season for an altercation with security.[11] Brown then began reaching out to wide receivers coach Butch Jones at West Virginia, since he had been highly recruited by him. After learning that Jones had left West Virginia to become the head coach at Central Michigan, Brown enrolled at the school and started his college football career as a walk-on freshman.[12]
College career
Brown attended and played college football for Central Michigan from 2007–2009.[13]
Freshman season
See also: 2007 Central Michigan Chippewas football team
Brown began attending Central Michigan in 2007 after wide receivers coach Zach Azzanni told him he could fly to Michigan and try out for the team as a walk-on wide receiver.[14] Transitioning from the quarterback position in high school to wide receiver in college was not that difficult for him, and after a few weeks, Central Michigan coaches offered him a scholarship. Brown had difficulty adjusting to the college lifestyle, and being on time for meetings and practice. Azzanni and his wife helped him get situated and into an established routine, and he soon became like a part of their family. During his first season at Central Michigan, Brown played in 14 games. He played well enough to win the Mid-American Conference Freshman of the Year and was All-Conference as a returner. For his freshman season, he had 102 receptions for 1,003 yards and six touchdowns.[9][15] His 102 receptions led the Mid-American Conference in 2007.[16]
Sophomore season
See also: 2008 Central Michigan Chippewas football team
Brown started every game during his sophomore season in 2008. Against Temple, he had three receptions for 33 yards and a season-high two touchdown receptions.[17] The next week, against Western Michigan, he had 10 receptions for 113 yards and threw a two-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter.[18] On November 28, while playing at Eastern Michigan, he had seven receptions for a season-high 172 yards and a touchdown.[19] For the season, Brown hauled in 93 receptions for 998 yards and seven touchdowns.[15] His 410 punt return yards and 791 kick return yards that season led the conference.[20]
Junior season
See also: 2009 Central Michigan Chippewas football team
In his junior season against Akron on September 26, 2009, Brown had nine receptions for 89 yards and a season-high two touchdowns.[21] For the 2009 season, he had five games with over 100 receiving yards.[22] In his last regular season game on January 6, 2010, against Troy, Brown had a season-high 13 receptions for 178 yards.[23] He finished 2009 with single-season bests of 110 receptions (also a school record), 1,198 receiving yards, and nine touchdowns. For his career at Central Michigan, he had a school-record 305 receptions, (including the top three seasons with the most receptions in school history), 3,199 receiving yards (fourth all-time), and 22 touchdowns (third all-time).[15][24] On January 7, 2010, he announced he would forgo his senior season and enter the 2010 NFL Draft.
Using a pick received in a trade with the Arizona Cardinals, the Pittsburgh Steelers selected him in the sixth round (195th overall) in the 2010 NFL Draft.[30] He was the 22nd of 27 wide receivers selected in the draft, and the second by the Pittsburgh Steelers behind Emmanuel Sanders.[31] He picked the jersey number 84, which he explained: "Eight times four is 32. Thirty-two teams looked past me, even the Steelers. So every time I go out there it’s a little added motivation."[32]
Pittsburgh Steelers
2010 season
On June 15, 2010, the Pittsburgh Steelers signed Brown to a three-year, $1.28 million contract with a signing bonus of $73,075.[33]
He entered training camp competing with Emmanuel Sanders, Tyler Grisham, Stefan Logan, Isaiah Williams, and Brandon Logan to be the Steelers' backup wide receivers.[34] Brown was named the Steelers' fifth wide receiver on their depth chart, behind veterans Hines Ward, Mike Wallace, Antwaan Randle El, and Arnaz Battle.[35]
On September 19, 2010, Brown made his regular season debut against the Tennessee Titans and returned two kicks and a punt for 128 yards, including an 89-yard touchdown from a reverse on the first play of the game.[36] On October 3, 2010, Brown made his first career catch for a six-yard gain during a 17–14 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.[37] During a Week 17 contest against the Cleveland Browns, Brown made a season-high four catches for 52 yards in a 41–9 victory.[38] He finished his rookie season with 16 receptions for 167 yards in ten games.[39]
The Steelers finished the 2010 season with a 12–4 record and finished first in the AFC North.[40] On January 15, 2011, Brown appeared in his first postseason game and caught a 58-yard pass on 3rd & 19 from Ben Roethlisberger to set up the game-winning touchdown. He finished his first playoff game with a season-high 75 yards on three receptions as the Steelers defeated the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Divisional Round by a score of 31–24.[41] The following week in the AFC Championship against the New York Jets, at the two-minute warning, Brown caught a 14-yard pass on 3rd & 6, sealing the 24–19 victory for the Steelers and advancing them to the Super Bowl.[42] On February 6, 2011, he appeared in his first Super Bowl. He handled four kickoff returns, four punt returns, and finished with one catch for a one-yard gain in the 31–25 Super Bowl XLV loss to the Green Bay Packers
Brown entered training camp competing with Emmanuel Sanders, Arnaz Battle, Limas Sweed, and Jerricho Cotchery to be the Steelers' third wide receiver after the departure of Antwaan Randle El. He won the competition and was named the third wide receiver on the depth chart behind Hines Ward and Mike Wallace. Brown was also named the starting kick returner and punt returner.[45]
Brown made his first appearance of the season in the Steelers' season-opener against the Baltimore Ravens and finished with two receptions for 14 yards and had three kickoff returns for 34 yards in a 35–7 loss.[46] On October 30, 2011, Brown had a season-high nine receptions for 67 yards and caught his first career touchdown reception on a seven-yard pass from Ben Roethlisberger in a 25–17 victory over the New England Patriots.[47] The next game, he caught five passes for 109 yards, marking his first career game with over 100 receiving yards, in a 23–20 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.[48] On November 13, 2011, he earned his first career start and made five receptions for 86 yards in a 24–17 defeat of the Cincinnati Bengals.[49] On December 4, 2011, he returned a punt for a 60-yard touchdown and made two catches for 67 yards, as the Steelers routed the Cincinnati Bengals 35–7.[50] The punt return for a touchdown was the first in his career and Brown was named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance.[51] In a Week 14 win over the Cleveland Browns, he made his second start of the season and ended the game with five catches for a season-high 151-yards and scored a season-long 79-yard touchdown in a 14–3 victory.[52] He finished the season with 69 receptions for 1,108 yards and two touchdown receptions in 16 games and three starts.[43] The Pittsburgh Steelers finished 12–4 and received a playoff berth. On January 8, 2012, Brown caught five passes for 70 yards and had one carry for 18 yards in a 29–23 overtime loss to the Denver Broncos in the AFC Wild Card Round.[53]
Brown became the first player in NFL history to have more than 1,000 yards receiving and returning in the same year. For his efforts, Brown was selected as a punt returner for the 2012 Pro Bowl. On January 29, 2012, Brown appeared in his first career Pro Bowl and caught two passes for 15 yards, helping the AFC defeat the NFC 59–41.[43][54]
2012 season
On July 28, 2012, the Pittsburgh Steelers signed Brown to a five-year, $42.5 million extension that included an $8.5 million signing bonus.[55] In December 2018, former Steelers safety Ryan Clark claimed that during a practice in 2012, Brown started shouting at defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau and began yelling at players on the defense, saying, "Don't touch me. I'm the franchise."[56]
With the retirement of Hines Ward during the off season, Brown entered training camp competing with Mike Wallace and Emmanuel Sanders to be the starting wide receivers. Brown and Wallace were subsequently named the starters at the position to begin the regular season.[57] In the Steelers' season opener against the Denver Broncos, Brown finished the 31–19 loss with four receptions for 74 yards and had one carry for four yards.[58] On September 23, 2012, Brown had seven receptions for 87 yards and a touchdown, while also making his first touchdown reception of the season on an 11-yard pass from Ben Roethlisberger in a 34–31 loss at the Oakland Raiders.[59]
On November 4, 2012, Brown was fined $10,000 by the NFL for unsportsmanlike conduct when he ran backwards for the final 20 yards of a punt return touchdown against the Washington Redskins the previous week.[60] The following game, Brown suffered a high ankle sprain and left the game with two catches for 19 yards in a 24–20 victory over the New York Giants.[61] The ankle injury prevented him from appearing in the next three games.[62] In a Week 15 matchup with the Dallas Cowboys, he made a season-high eight catches for 76 yards and a touchdown in a 27–24 loss.[63] The following week, Brown caught five passes for a season-high 97 yards and scored a 60-yard touchdown in a 13–10 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.[64] He finished the 2012 season with 66 receptions for 787 yards and five touchdowns in 13 games and ten starts
Brown entered the 2013 regular season as one of the Steelers' starting wide receivers with Emmanuel Sanders. The team had been unable to reach a contract agreement with former starter Mike Wallace in the offseason, and he left for the Miami Dolphins via free agency.[66]
Brown started the Steelers' season opener against the Tennessee Titans and had five receptions for 71 yards in a 16–9 loss.[67] On September 22, 2013, Brown caught nine passes for a season-high and then career-high 196 yards and two touchdowns in a 40–23 loss to the Chicago Bears. His first touchdown reception of the season came on a 33-yard pass from Ben Roethlisberger.[68][69] The following game, he caught a season-high 12 passes for 88 yards in a 34–27 loss to the Minnesota Vikings.[43][70]
On December 22, 2013, Brown broke Yancey Thigpen's single-season team record of 1,398 receiving yards set in 1997.[71] Brown also became only the second Steeler to amass at least 100 receptions in a season, joining former teammate Hines Ward.[72] On December 29, he, along with Pierre Garçon of the Washington Redskins, tied Jimmy Smith as the only players to record at least five receptions in every single game of an NFL season in a win against the Browns. In addition, Brown became the only receiver in NFL history to record five receptions and at least 50 yards in every single game of an NFL season.[73] He finished the 2013 season with a total of 110 receptions for 1,499 yards and eight touchdowns in 16 games and 14 starts.[43] On December 27, 2013, Brown was selected for the Pro Bowl as a receiver and a punt returner.[74] On January 3, 2014, Brown was named to the AP All-Pro team for the first time in his career.[75] He was ranked 23rd by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2014.[76][77]
2014 season
In the Steelers' season opener against the Cleveland Browns, while returning a punt, Brown attempted to hurdle Cleveland Browns punter Spencer Lanning and kicked him in the facemask, garnering significant media attention.[78] He finished the 30–27 victory with five receptions for 116 yards and later apologized for the kick, claiming it was an accident.[79] On September 11, 2014, Brown was fined $8,200 for kicking the punter.[80] On October 20, 2014, against the Houston Texans, Brown threw his first career touchdown pass, a three-yard strike to wide receiver Lance Moore.[81] The following game, Brown caught ten passes for 133 yards and two touchdowns in a 51–34 victory over the Indianapolis Colts.[82] During a Week 9 contest against the Baltimore Ravens, Brown made a season-high 11 catches for a season-high 144 yards, including a 54-yard touchdown reception in the 43–23 victory.[43] In Week 17, against the Cincinnati Bengals, he had seven receptions for 128 yards and a touchdown to go along with a 71-yard punt return touchdown.[83] His successful performance earned him AFC Special Teams Player of the Week.[84] In 2014, Brown led the NFL in receptions (129), receiving yards (1,698), and was tied for second in touchdowns (13); all three were new team records.[85] The Steelers made the playoffs and faced off against the Baltimore Ravens in the Wild Card Round.[86] In the 30–17 loss, he had nine receptions for 117 yards.[87] His successful season garnered him a third Pro Bowl selection.[88] He was ranked eighth by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2015
During his first season with the Steelers, the team advanced to Super Bowl XLV, but lost to the Green Bay Packers. He finished his rookie season with 16 receptions for 167 yards in ten games. During his second season, Brown became the first player in NFL history to have more than 1,000 yards receiving and returning in the same year. For his efforts, Brown was selected as a punt returner for the 2012 Pro Bowl. In 2013, Brown became the only receiver in NFL history to record five receptions and at least 50 yards in every single game of an NFL season. Although his on-the-field productivity continued over the next several seasons, including leading the league in receiving yards in 2014 and 2017, Brown's relationship with the Steelers, especially with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, soured and in 2019 he requested a trade.
He was eventually dealt to the Oakland Raiders, who then made him the highest-paid receiver in the league. His time in Oakland was short-lived, however, and following several off-the-field incidents, including a confrontation with general manager Mike Mayock, the team released Brown without him ever playing a regular season game. He signed with the Patriots later that same day.
Early life
Brown is the son of retired Arena Football League star Eddie Brown; in 2006, the league named Eddie Brown the best player in its history.[2] He played wide receiver for the Albany Firebirds and collegiate football for Louisiana Tech.[3]
High school career
Miami Norland High School
Brown attended Miami Norland High School in Miami, Florida, where he was a two-sport athlete in both football and track.[4] In football, Brown played running back, quarterback, wide receiver, and punt returner for the Vikings.[5] He was a two-time Class 6A all-state selection and was also named North Athlete of the Year at 2005 Miami-Dade Gridiron Classic. In track & field, Brown was a two-time state qualifier in the 100-meter dash, and also ran the fourth leg on the Norland 4 × 100 m relay squad, helping them capture the state title at 41.50 seconds.[6] He spent a prep year in 2006 at North Carolina Tech.[7][8]
North Carolina Tech Prep
Coming out of high school, Brown applied to Florida State University. His admission was denied over academic concerns.[9]
After attempting to attend Alcorn State, he decided to enroll at North Carolina Tech Prep. Playing in just five games at quarterback, Brown passed for 1,247 yards and 11 touchdowns, while rushing for 451 yards and 13 touchdowns.[10] Once he finished his lone season at North Carolina Tech Prep, he received a scholarship to play at Florida International University, but he was expelled before the season for an altercation with security.[11] Brown then began reaching out to wide receivers coach Butch Jones at West Virginia, since he had been highly recruited by him. After learning that Jones had left West Virginia to become the head coach at Central Michigan, Brown enrolled at the school and started his college football career as a walk-on freshman.[12]
College career
Brown attended and played college football for Central Michigan from 2007–2009.[13]
Freshman season
See also: 2007 Central Michigan Chippewas football team
Brown began attending Central Michigan in 2007 after wide receivers coach Zach Azzanni told him he could fly to Michigan and try out for the team as a walk-on wide receiver.[14] Transitioning from the quarterback position in high school to wide receiver in college was not that difficult for him, and after a few weeks, Central Michigan coaches offered him a scholarship. Brown had difficulty adjusting to the college lifestyle, and being on time for meetings and practice. Azzanni and his wife helped him get situated and into an established routine, and he soon became like a part of their family. During his first season at Central Michigan, Brown played in 14 games. He played well enough to win the Mid-American Conference Freshman of the Year and was All-Conference as a returner. For his freshman season, he had 102 receptions for 1,003 yards and six touchdowns.[9][15] His 102 receptions led the Mid-American Conference in 2007.[16]
Sophomore season
See also: 2008 Central Michigan Chippewas football team
Brown started every game during his sophomore season in 2008. Against Temple, he had three receptions for 33 yards and a season-high two touchdown receptions.[17] The next week, against Western Michigan, he had 10 receptions for 113 yards and threw a two-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter.[18] On November 28, while playing at Eastern Michigan, he had seven receptions for a season-high 172 yards and a touchdown.[19] For the season, Brown hauled in 93 receptions for 998 yards and seven touchdowns.[15] His 410 punt return yards and 791 kick return yards that season led the conference.[20]
Junior season
See also: 2009 Central Michigan Chippewas football team
In his junior season against Akron on September 26, 2009, Brown had nine receptions for 89 yards and a season-high two touchdowns.[21] For the 2009 season, he had five games with over 100 receiving yards.[22] In his last regular season game on January 6, 2010, against Troy, Brown had a season-high 13 receptions for 178 yards.[23] He finished 2009 with single-season bests of 110 receptions (also a school record), 1,198 receiving yards, and nine touchdowns. For his career at Central Michigan, he had a school-record 305 receptions, (including the top three seasons with the most receptions in school history), 3,199 receiving yards (fourth all-time), and 22 touchdowns (third all-time).[15][24] On January 7, 2010, he announced he would forgo his senior season and enter the 2010 NFL Draft.
Using a pick received in a trade with the Arizona Cardinals, the Pittsburgh Steelers selected him in the sixth round (195th overall) in the 2010 NFL Draft.[30] He was the 22nd of 27 wide receivers selected in the draft, and the second by the Pittsburgh Steelers behind Emmanuel Sanders.[31] He picked the jersey number 84, which he explained: "Eight times four is 32. Thirty-two teams looked past me, even the Steelers. So every time I go out there it’s a little added motivation."[32]
Pittsburgh Steelers
2010 season
On June 15, 2010, the Pittsburgh Steelers signed Brown to a three-year, $1.28 million contract with a signing bonus of $73,075.[33]
He entered training camp competing with Emmanuel Sanders, Tyler Grisham, Stefan Logan, Isaiah Williams, and Brandon Logan to be the Steelers' backup wide receivers.[34] Brown was named the Steelers' fifth wide receiver on their depth chart, behind veterans Hines Ward, Mike Wallace, Antwaan Randle El, and Arnaz Battle.[35]
On September 19, 2010, Brown made his regular season debut against the Tennessee Titans and returned two kicks and a punt for 128 yards, including an 89-yard touchdown from a reverse on the first play of the game.[36] On October 3, 2010, Brown made his first career catch for a six-yard gain during a 17–14 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.[37] During a Week 17 contest against the Cleveland Browns, Brown made a season-high four catches for 52 yards in a 41–9 victory.[38] He finished his rookie season with 16 receptions for 167 yards in ten games.[39]
The Steelers finished the 2010 season with a 12–4 record and finished first in the AFC North.[40] On January 15, 2011, Brown appeared in his first postseason game and caught a 58-yard pass on 3rd & 19 from Ben Roethlisberger to set up the game-winning touchdown. He finished his first playoff game with a season-high 75 yards on three receptions as the Steelers defeated the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Divisional Round by a score of 31–24.[41] The following week in the AFC Championship against the New York Jets, at the two-minute warning, Brown caught a 14-yard pass on 3rd & 6, sealing the 24–19 victory for the Steelers and advancing them to the Super Bowl.[42] On February 6, 2011, he appeared in his first Super Bowl. He handled four kickoff returns, four punt returns, and finished with one catch for a one-yard gain in the 31–25 Super Bowl XLV loss to the Green Bay Packers
Brown entered training camp competing with Emmanuel Sanders, Arnaz Battle, Limas Sweed, and Jerricho Cotchery to be the Steelers' third wide receiver after the departure of Antwaan Randle El. He won the competition and was named the third wide receiver on the depth chart behind Hines Ward and Mike Wallace. Brown was also named the starting kick returner and punt returner.[45]
Brown made his first appearance of the season in the Steelers' season-opener against the Baltimore Ravens and finished with two receptions for 14 yards and had three kickoff returns for 34 yards in a 35–7 loss.[46] On October 30, 2011, Brown had a season-high nine receptions for 67 yards and caught his first career touchdown reception on a seven-yard pass from Ben Roethlisberger in a 25–17 victory over the New England Patriots.[47] The next game, he caught five passes for 109 yards, marking his first career game with over 100 receiving yards, in a 23–20 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.[48] On November 13, 2011, he earned his first career start and made five receptions for 86 yards in a 24–17 defeat of the Cincinnati Bengals.[49] On December 4, 2011, he returned a punt for a 60-yard touchdown and made two catches for 67 yards, as the Steelers routed the Cincinnati Bengals 35–7.[50] The punt return for a touchdown was the first in his career and Brown was named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance.[51] In a Week 14 win over the Cleveland Browns, he made his second start of the season and ended the game with five catches for a season-high 151-yards and scored a season-long 79-yard touchdown in a 14–3 victory.[52] He finished the season with 69 receptions for 1,108 yards and two touchdown receptions in 16 games and three starts.[43] The Pittsburgh Steelers finished 12–4 and received a playoff berth. On January 8, 2012, Brown caught five passes for 70 yards and had one carry for 18 yards in a 29–23 overtime loss to the Denver Broncos in the AFC Wild Card Round.[53]
Brown became the first player in NFL history to have more than 1,000 yards receiving and returning in the same year. For his efforts, Brown was selected as a punt returner for the 2012 Pro Bowl. On January 29, 2012, Brown appeared in his first career Pro Bowl and caught two passes for 15 yards, helping the AFC defeat the NFC 59–41.[43][54]
2012 season
On July 28, 2012, the Pittsburgh Steelers signed Brown to a five-year, $42.5 million extension that included an $8.5 million signing bonus.[55] In December 2018, former Steelers safety Ryan Clark claimed that during a practice in 2012, Brown started shouting at defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau and began yelling at players on the defense, saying, "Don't touch me. I'm the franchise."[56]
With the retirement of Hines Ward during the off season, Brown entered training camp competing with Mike Wallace and Emmanuel Sanders to be the starting wide receivers. Brown and Wallace were subsequently named the starters at the position to begin the regular season.[57] In the Steelers' season opener against the Denver Broncos, Brown finished the 31–19 loss with four receptions for 74 yards and had one carry for four yards.[58] On September 23, 2012, Brown had seven receptions for 87 yards and a touchdown, while also making his first touchdown reception of the season on an 11-yard pass from Ben Roethlisberger in a 34–31 loss at the Oakland Raiders.[59]
On November 4, 2012, Brown was fined $10,000 by the NFL for unsportsmanlike conduct when he ran backwards for the final 20 yards of a punt return touchdown against the Washington Redskins the previous week.[60] The following game, Brown suffered a high ankle sprain and left the game with two catches for 19 yards in a 24–20 victory over the New York Giants.[61] The ankle injury prevented him from appearing in the next three games.[62] In a Week 15 matchup with the Dallas Cowboys, he made a season-high eight catches for 76 yards and a touchdown in a 27–24 loss.[63] The following week, Brown caught five passes for a season-high 97 yards and scored a 60-yard touchdown in a 13–10 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.[64] He finished the 2012 season with 66 receptions for 787 yards and five touchdowns in 13 games and ten starts
Brown entered the 2013 regular season as one of the Steelers' starting wide receivers with Emmanuel Sanders. The team had been unable to reach a contract agreement with former starter Mike Wallace in the offseason, and he left for the Miami Dolphins via free agency.[66]
Brown started the Steelers' season opener against the Tennessee Titans and had five receptions for 71 yards in a 16–9 loss.[67] On September 22, 2013, Brown caught nine passes for a season-high and then career-high 196 yards and two touchdowns in a 40–23 loss to the Chicago Bears. His first touchdown reception of the season came on a 33-yard pass from Ben Roethlisberger.[68][69] The following game, he caught a season-high 12 passes for 88 yards in a 34–27 loss to the Minnesota Vikings.[43][70]
On December 22, 2013, Brown broke Yancey Thigpen's single-season team record of 1,398 receiving yards set in 1997.[71] Brown also became only the second Steeler to amass at least 100 receptions in a season, joining former teammate Hines Ward.[72] On December 29, he, along with Pierre Garçon of the Washington Redskins, tied Jimmy Smith as the only players to record at least five receptions in every single game of an NFL season in a win against the Browns. In addition, Brown became the only receiver in NFL history to record five receptions and at least 50 yards in every single game of an NFL season.[73] He finished the 2013 season with a total of 110 receptions for 1,499 yards and eight touchdowns in 16 games and 14 starts.[43] On December 27, 2013, Brown was selected for the Pro Bowl as a receiver and a punt returner.[74] On January 3, 2014, Brown was named to the AP All-Pro team for the first time in his career.[75] He was ranked 23rd by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2014.[76][77]
2014 season
In the Steelers' season opener against the Cleveland Browns, while returning a punt, Brown attempted to hurdle Cleveland Browns punter Spencer Lanning and kicked him in the facemask, garnering significant media attention.[78] He finished the 30–27 victory with five receptions for 116 yards and later apologized for the kick, claiming it was an accident.[79] On September 11, 2014, Brown was fined $8,200 for kicking the punter.[80] On October 20, 2014, against the Houston Texans, Brown threw his first career touchdown pass, a three-yard strike to wide receiver Lance Moore.[81] The following game, Brown caught ten passes for 133 yards and two touchdowns in a 51–34 victory over the Indianapolis Colts.[82] During a Week 9 contest against the Baltimore Ravens, Brown made a season-high 11 catches for a season-high 144 yards, including a 54-yard touchdown reception in the 43–23 victory.[43] In Week 17, against the Cincinnati Bengals, he had seven receptions for 128 yards and a touchdown to go along with a 71-yard punt return touchdown.[83] His successful performance earned him AFC Special Teams Player of the Week.[84] In 2014, Brown led the NFL in receptions (129), receiving yards (1,698), and was tied for second in touchdowns (13); all three were new team records.[85] The Steelers made the playoffs and faced off against the Baltimore Ravens in the Wild Card Round.[86] In the 30–17 loss, he had nine receptions for 117 yards.[87] His successful season garnered him a third Pro Bowl selection.[88] He was ranked eighth by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2015
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