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Ex-Steelers' Antonio Brown Gets Emotional Talking Mike Tomlin

The former Pittsburgh Steelers wideout opened up about his former head coach.

Noah Strackbein

Nov 8, 2018; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown (84) talks with
Nov 8, 2018; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown (84) talks with / Phillip G. Pavely-USA TODAY Sports
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PITTSBURGH -- Antonio Brown's time with the Pittsburgh Steelers didn't end with well wishes and grace. Instead, the All-Pro wide receiver left for the first team the Steelers could trade him to, and eventually found himself bouncing around the NFL until he infamously left mid-game. 

But the former wideout opened up about how he viewed Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin, calling him a "father figure" during his time in Pittsburgh. 

"Mike Tomlin…that dude was like my pops, to be honest," Brown told Jason Whitlock in a one-on-one interview. "Ever since I met Mike Tomlin I always knew, I’ll have success. I feel like when I went to the Steelers, Mike Tomlin, once I saw him and talked with him, I knew I was going to the Steelers. Mike Tomlin was that father figure for me. Outside of coach. Obviously, as a coach and the minutia as a coach, he was always challenging me at the utmost to make sure I was better.”

During his conversation about Tomlin, Brown got emotional, reiterating that he knew the head coach had his back. And despite a poor ending to their relationship, the respect was there during his time in Pittsburgh 

"That guy Mike Tomlin, always had my back, always believed in me," Brown said. "So I’m always indebted to Mike Tomlin. He was one of those guys that’s stood in the foxhole for me. And that meant a lot to me."

While Brown has had some back-and-forth moments talking about the Steelers in recent years, he's had plenty of times where he's given praise and love to his former head coach. It's unlikely he ever finds his way back to good graces with the organization, but there's probably a respect between the two sides - and especially from Tomlin - for what they accomplished together in the NFL. 

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Noah Strackbein

NOAH STRACKBEIN

Noah is the Publisher for All Steelers, Inside the Panthers (InsideThePanthers.com) and Inside the Penguins (InsidethePenguins.com), and is the host of All Steelers Talk (YouTube.com/AllSteelersTalk). A Scranton native, Noah made his way to the Pittsburgh sports scene in 2017. Now, he's pretty much full-yinzer.