From quitting on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers mid-game to his no-holds-barred antics on social media, Antonio Brown comes across as impulsive and eccentric at best, or, as his tasteless post on X about Travis Kelcie and Taylor shift showed, racist and misogynist.
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AB has become famous for being infamous, with his on-field and off-field shenanigans and frequent brushes with legal trouble serving to only strengthen the widespread view that he is flaky and unstable. But behind this outrageous exterior lies another side of AB.
Yes, at one stage, Brown was a serious footballer who would leave no stone unturned in his quest for on-field excellence. In fact, he once even turned to mind coaching and visualization to elevate his game, approaching the legendary self-help guru Tony Robbins.
In his recent appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience, the former wide receiver revealed how Robbins hypnotized him in an attempt to plant the seeds of success in his subconscious. “He kind of hypnotized me a little bit. He just sank some stuff into my spirit. Like, ‘AB, go win the Super Bowl, see yourself like this’,” Brown told Rogan.
So, did Robbins simply whisper manifestations in Brown’s ears? According to the former WR, the self-help guru first put him to sleep, ensuring that Brown’s eyes were closed with all distractions blocked out. Robbins then sank “stuff” into Brown’s spirit.
It seems the guru had created an environment that allowed Brown to manifest success. “Kind of like, you know, close your eyes, block out everything, and just bring in what he’s saying. He puts it in your spirit,” AB explained, adding that he “met Robbins through Tom Brady,” his QB at the time.
Robbins’ visualization attempts seemed to have helped Brown unlock the mental framework of a champion as he went on to win his only Super Bowl title with the Buccaneers in 2021. Not only did Brown win the Lombardi Trophy, but he also caught a pivotal TD in that game, delivering a well-rounded champion performance.
As Brown revealed, Brady was the architect of this success even before the season began, thanks to him linking AB up with Robbins. Brown added that Brady himself is a believer in the mental conditioning coach’s methods. But it wasnt just Brady and AB who found themselves influenced by Robbins.
Rogan looked to Robbins’ wisdom while trying to make it in comedy
This wouldn’t come as a surprise to those who have followed Brady’s career. The seven-time Super Bowl champion is known for his obsessive approach to mental conditioning, using everything from meditation to brain training apps to keep his focus razor-sharp. It seems Brady’s secret to greatness was a lot more than training on skill and fitness, his low-carbohydrate diet, and film study.
Hearing Brown’s story made Rogan recall how he too used Robbins’ books while he was trying to make a career in comedy.
“Tony Robbins, right? I read his books when I was 21 years old. In 1988, I was reading his book, trying to figure out how to make it in comedy,” Rogan recounted.
It was the 65-year-old’s self-help cassettes and workbooks that helped Rogan prioritize his goals.
“I got this cassette thing — like a whole bunch of cassettes. Each one had workbooks, and you were supposed to fill out stuff, set goals, and all these different things. He’s got legit, great information,” added Rogan.
From Michael Jordan to Brady, Robbins’ work as mental conditioning coach has propelled many athletes to greatness.
While Brown seemed very casual about his interaction with Robbins, looking back at his Super Bowl-winning moment, it’s hard to ignore the possibility that the self-help maestro’s words could have also played their part.
