The bottom line is that Nixon didn’t make it and it was fairly predictable.
The exceptions to the rule, guys like LeGarrette Blount & Vontaze Burfict, who both had all kinds of red flags, usually go undrafted or are selected in Rd 7. Perhaps, in those cases, it was a bruised ego which caused them to straighten out.
A majority of guys can’t play in the NFL. Sure, some stick around for a few years while the coaches figure out that they don’t belong. But for the most part over 50% of every draft will have players who are not going to make it. So I think with alot of metrics, it will always slant biased towards flaming out. When it comes to character concerns a guy like Antonio Brown had a neon billboard over his head, in addition to height and speed concerns.
I think the type of character concern matters. This is a “guy punch another guy in the mouth” kind of business. So I don’t consider it a big red flag that a guy literally did that.
It’s a lack of professionalism, that’s one thing nobody can get over no matter how talented they are. If they’re not able to put in the work to earn all that money, then they’re gonna flame out. That’s why I don’t like the “loves football” narrative. I want guys who are pros. Trent Williams is on record as saying he doesn’t love football, but he loves the money and he’s a pro and he’s the best OT in the league.
There were some, but not very specific and no incidents reported back in 2010.
The crazy stuff started after he became highly successful and was making tons of money. It was like he didn’t care any more at that point.
Man most of those negatives are way off base. Can’t create separation? Concentration lapses? And he was a great route-runner. Maybe he didn’t become one until the pros but still. And his work ethic was second-to-none. He’s definitely a head case but you can’t question how hard the guy worked, he’s like TO that way.
I’ve heard this narrative before but its actually not Antonio’s origin story. Notice on the negatives where they say his attitude is a concern. I think “work ethic” was just thrown in there because people tend to lump those together. Or the writer can’t separate working at football vs doing regular school work. The attitude problem is exactly correct. AB has always had an issue with authority. He was even kicked out of the house as a teenager and had to live wherever he could fit in. Let me take you back in time:
We would like to think Antonio Brown was an after thought of a high school prospect, and that’s how he ended up at a school like Central Michigan. But that’s not the case. Antonio Brown’s dad was a famous arena league player (voted best of all time) and Antonio was voted to the all-state team twice while playing in a hotbed for football talent (Miami, Florida). He was supposed to go to Florida State but “issues” got in the way. Rich Rod and the Mountaineers…one of the best teams in college football at the time…recruited him but had to back off as well. He bounced around to a few different places but “things” happen to Antonio Brown wherever he goes. He was at Alcorn State briefly, but had to leave there as well. He was briefly enrolled at Florida International, but got thrown out before the season even started for punching a security guard.
Running out of options he was able to get in contact with Rich Rod’s old receivers coach Butch Jones, who was part of recruiting Antonio at West Virginia. Butch had been named head coach at Central. Butch took a chance on the troubled kid and that’s how Antonio Brown ended up at CMU.
And all this time I thought it was the Madden curse…
Thanks for the info. I appreciate the deep dive. I really don’t care enough to look it up since he’s not a lion.
I stand corrected.
AB- separation difficulties? Who da hell wrote that trash?
Also, MAJOR ISSUES in college…before he landed at CMU ,where he was habitually late to practices and meeting…He fought a security guard at FIU and got expelled. Before that he played at a D2 school…as a QB…before that he applied and got rejected by Florida State, that bastion of recruiting upper-crustery and moral turpitude…and before that??
AB said he lacked guidance as a youth, eventually leaving home due to conflict with his stepfather during his senior year of high school. During a 6-month stretch of his senior year, he moved around from house to house, staying on friends’ couches. At one point, he even stayed with his assistant coach during his year at prep school.
EDIT- Sorry, now I look like I’m piling on…I’m not, I just didnt read through the thread before responding.
Etiquette and I are in an on again/off again relationship.
Brown didn’t identify the author:
You said he was suspended, LOL, true or false? Let me help you as this is the third time I’ve asked, he wasn’t. There WAS an “incident”. Now, in what world if there was some “there, there”, would we NOT know what it was? THESE were the issue’s. Character issue’s with no reference means exactly what? I wouldn’t accept that you lied about the chain of events? Correct. You said he got suspended and then entered the transfer portal, never happened. He entered the portal while still taking classes, he was never suspended by the school or the team. You absolutely did not and do not have “multiple sources” that confirmed your chain of events. BTW, anything new on your “multiple sources” who said we aren’t changing the D?
I swear I read somewhere that they placed him on the IR ending his season.
I wonder which report is accurate.
