VIDEO: Antonio Brown Reveals Why He Chose No. 17 With Patriots
By Parker White
Whether it was with the Pittsburgh Steelers or his very short stint with the Oakland Raiders, wide receiver Antonio Brown wore the No. 84. That's why it came as a bit of a shock that he changed his jersey number when he signed with the New England Patriots. Was this just random? Nope. He had a very good reason as to why he chose No. 17. Take a look:
The No. 17 was his father's jersey number when he played in the AFL.
AB's father is Eddie Brown, who made a name for himself in the arena game from 1994-2001. "Touchdown Eddie Brown" was such a star in the AFL that he was inducted into their Hall of Fame in 2011.
The AFL getting some love during the Patriots broadcast today with Antonio Brown rocking #17 to honor his dad, the GOAT of the arena league, Touchdown Eddie Brown! 1️⃣7️⃣#50YardDash @OfficialAFL @AB84 #arenafootball @Albany_Empire pic.twitter.com/HInswTs1dv
— Ben Fraternale (@benfraternale) September 15, 2019
Brown is dealing with a lot of difficulty off the field, but his head is twisted on well enough to know how to honor his dad in an authentic way.