The Pittsburgh Steelers have had their ups and downs with former wide receiver Antonio Brown. While he was easily arguably the greatest receiver of his generation, he grew to be incredibly toxic in the locker room. Some people theorize that the devastating hit he took from Vontaze Burfict in the 2015 Wild Card game gave him CTE, and that's why he started acting out of character. Others believe he was always a bit off, and his antics were just kept in-house early on in his career. Either way, his stunts shortened his NFL career, whether football caused that or not.
AP / Matt Slocum
Wide receiver Antonio Brown runs past defender Atari Bigby during the first half of Super Bowl XLV between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Green Bay Packers.
Brown made an appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience to talk about his career, both in and out of football. He brought up the fact that every player needs therapy, to which Joe Rogan asked if he had gone through it. Brown admitted that he had to get some therapy after he retired, and he explained what those conversations were like.
"Just how you feel, you know: mental clarity, emotional feelings," said Brown. "I feel like waking up and being a football player when you did it every day and you wake up with so much energy; you're ready to put it out. It's learning how to channel it, learning how to deal with certain relationships that maybe changed now that you're not in the position. Know how to deal with that or how to deal with people leveraging you for what you got now: just a lot of things that provide mental clarity."
The shocking thing is not the fact that Brown admitted he had to go through therapy to learn these things, as many players have to go through that, it's that he has regularly denied needing mental help. When he first started his CTESPN account, it was used to make fun of the idea that CTE causes mental problems. Now, he says that he got that kind of help, and that every player needs it.
Amy Beth Bennett / AP
Antonio Brown shows up to trial in a suicide prevention suit.
However, it was very clear that he needed therapy. During his time with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he was arrested for numerous charges. When he finally turned himself in, he was seen on trial in a suit that's specifically designed to prevent self-harm. The only reason he would have to wear that is if he was considering the worst option, or simply making a mockery of something very serious.
Even with everything Brown has done, it's great to see that he is much more mentally stable than he once was. The whole situation is no joke, and it could have cost him his life. He would not be the first football player to have that fate, but it is still a very sad and unfortunate reality that he almost experienced first-hand.
He talked about how every player needs therapy, and he's not wrong. Adjusting from playing football all your life to not doing it anymore can be challenging. You're not spending every second of your life focusing on getting better at the game that you love anymore. Now, you're spending no time at all worrying about preparing for the next game or the next season.
ESPN
Steelers' Antonio Brown looks on during a home game in Pittsburgh.
Other Ways Steelers Players Cope With Not Playing Anymore
There are some players like James Harrison who are focused on raising a family and being a good dad. In many cases, having children can act as a turning point for someone's life. Maybe they can help their kids be great at football. If they don't want to play, then any other passion that the child may have is still helpful for the dad.
Other players find ways to stay in the game, like Hines Ward, who took up coaching. If you can't make yourself better at football anymore, then you can help other young, talented, hopeful athletes reach their ceiling. Some players even become analysts so they can keep talking about the game, like Ryan Clark.
What do you think about Brown going to therapy, as well as how he and other players have dealt with not being able to play football anymore? Let us know in the comments, or on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.
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