Photos by Gerome Wright (Martinez News-Gazette)
Flanked by his new coach and general manager, seated in front of three Lombardis and sporting a new subdued do — a fitting business-in-front and party-in-back combo — Antonio Brown spoke Wednesday afternoon for the first time as a member of the Oakland Raiders.
After a two-month-long standoff with the Pittsburgh Steelers, the receiver finally landed in a new desired locale as the league year began. Fresh off signing a three-year deal with $30 million in new guaranteed money with Oakland, Brown said he was happy to join the franchise, especially one with so much history.
“It’s legendary. It’s an honor to be here. I know there’s some tremendous guys who’ve been in this building,” Brown said of joining the Raiders. “I’m just excited to be in the same building as guys who’ve been great from the past and I’m excited to be here and help these guys go to a level as far as a winning environment.”
Not that his former franchise didn’t have a winning legacy. The six-time Super Bowl champion Steelersmade the postseason six times in Brown’s nine seasons with the club, during which the receiver rose from a sixth-round afterthought to arguably the game’s greatest wideout.
