“Deion Sanders Was My Idol”: Antonio Brown Showers Praise on Coach Prime, Before Comparing Himself to a Liquor Store

The notorious Antonio Brown, who has been away from football action for quite some time, recently made an appearance on ‘It Is What It Is’ podcast where he revealed how highly he thinks of Deion Sanders. Sanders, who made heads turn last December, by signing a whopping $29.5 million five-year contract with the Colorado Buffaloes, earned quite a reputation as a champion DB and Outfielder during his playing days.

Antonio revealed on the podcast that Deion Sanders, who has been doing a phenomenal job at Colorado lately, was actually his idol growing up. However, Antonio being Antonio, quickly shifted the spotlight back to himself by comparing his mighty self to a liquor store.

Antonio Brown Idolized Deion Sanders Growing Up

Antonio Brown has earned the reputation of being a self-centered individual, mostly due to his theatrics off the pitch. The former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver, however, came out of that mould for once and heaped praise on former NFL defensive back, Deion Sanders. Brown recently claimed that Sanders was one of his idols when he started playing football.

Brown also opined that Sanders was one of the toughest defenders of his era, who did not allow the receivers to catch a single ball even in practice. Despite acknowledging Sanders’ brilliance, Antonio felt that the 2 time Super Bowl winner would have had to change himself if he played during the modern era. He even imagined coming up against Sanders on the gridiron and had no doubts that he would emerge victorious in the 1v1 battle. Brown then compared himself to a liquor store, in the sense that both of them are always open.

“Deion used to punch the receiver. He was the type that wouldn’t let a guy catch a ball in practice the whole year. I love Deion, but in my era, you have to come a little different. Deion Sanders was my idol first from playing football, but there is no cornerback in the game, that’s shutting me down. I’m like the liquor store, it’s always open,” Brown said. 

Antonio Brown ‘Loves’ Tom Brady

Brown has been away from the NFL since 2021 after infamously exiting the gridiron during the Tampa Bay Buccaneers game against the New York Jets. Brown left the gridiron after removing his jersey and shoulder pads and had his contract terminated by the Buccaneers. Right after his exit from the Buccaneers, the wide receiver started taking brutal shots at his once-good friend and quarterback, Tom Brady.

The duo have had a rumoured fallout since Brown’s ouster from the Buccaneers. Speaking about his relationship with Brady during the same podcast, Brown said, “I love Tom.” However, he also said that he felt the quarterback could have handled the situation regarding his departure a little differently, especially because he considered him to be his friend.