David A. Aretha - Antonio Brown

Antonio Brown during the Oakland Raiders vs. Pittsburgh Steelers game, November 8, 2015.

Source: Newscom: Jason Pohuski/Cal Sport Media

Spirits soared as fans poured into Heinz Field that afternoon. Unquestionably, Pittsburgh ranked among the NFLs most football-crazed cities. At the time, the Steelers had won six Super Bowlsmore than any other teamand had made the playoffs 27 times since 1972. Steelers fanatics, many of whom worked in the nearby steel mills, packed the stands. Fans waved their Terrible Towelsthe iconic black and gold cloths that had often rallied their team to victory.

Sunshine bathed the Steel City, and the thermometer read 54 degrees at game time. A perfect day for football. During warm-ups, Antonio sparkled as usual. The handsome, bright-eyed 27-year-old flashed his million-dollar smile, revealing a perfect set of blindingly white teeth.

Antonio, known for his hip-swiveling touchdown dances, had inherited not just the talent but the charisma of his father. Touchdown Eddie Brown had been voted the greatest player in the history of the Arena Football League after totaling an insane 303 touchdown catches. (No one in the NFL has ever reached 200).

On November 8, Antonio would have a day that would make even his fathers head spin.

The Antonio Show began quietly on the second play of the game, when Roethlisberger completed a short pass to Brown for six yards. On Pittsburghs second drive, he was wide open deep down field and Big Ben missed him. But he kept throwing to him. In fact, Roethlisberger and backup quarterback Landry Jones would heave 23 passes toward Brown that afternoon, of which hed catch 17. All day long, Antonio would utilize his remarkably quick feet, dynamic shifting ability, and uncanny instincts to leave defenders in the dust.

Browns second catch of the day made the highlight video. He stood on his tippy toes and leaned out of bounds to complete a 13-yard reception. Later in the first quarter, Ben saw Brown racing past all defenders deep down the middle. He launched a long rainbow that Antonio hauled in. He then broke tackles and stumbled forward for a 59-yard gain to the Oakland 24. Fans whipped their towels into a frenzy, but Brown was just warming up.

Late in the second quarter, the days hero streaked down the left sideline. Roethlisberger lofted the ball perfectly and Brown caught it over his shoulder on the dead run for a gain of 41. Two more grabs late in the second quarter helped give Pittsburgh a 21-14 halftime lead.

I had a good flow, Brown told NFL Media in his smooth, baritone voice. I was feeling really good, positive energy. I was in the flow, and within every series we were getting the looks we practiced for, and I was pretty positive today.

To the Raiders, that flow felt like a tsunamiespecially in the fourth quarter, when he hooked up with Big Ben for completions of nine, three, and 15 yards. Even after Roethlisberger left the game with a foot injury late in the fourth, backup Landry Jones knew whom to target. He hit Antonio for gains of 14, three, and 17 yards. Browns 15th catch of the daya diving grabset the Steelers record for receptions in one contest. The 17th and final catch turned out to be the biggest.

The situation: With 55 seconds remaining, the game was tied at 35-35. The Steelers faced a third-and-two, meaning if they didnt make it Oakland would receive a punt and have a chance to win in regulation.

With Brown facing single coverage on the left side, Jones knew exactly what to do. Antonio raced three yards upfield, cut sharply to his left, snatched the pass, turned, and raced 57 yards down the right sideline. Terrible Towels waved supreme, and as the clock expired Chris Boswell booted an 18-yard field goal for the win.

On the day, Brown had amassed 284 receiving yardsthe seventh most in NFL history. He also ran twice for an additional 22 yards. Afterward, Raiders safety Charles Woodsonone of the greatest ever at his positionwas left speechless. I really dont know what to say but wow, Woodson told the press. About the only thing Brown didnt do was throw the ball, which he could have done, for in high school he had been a star quarterback.

In a league full of superstars, Antonio Brown maintained a lofty status. Prior to the 2015 season, in a poll of NFL players, the Steelers receivers ranked as the eighth best player in the league. Following his monstrous 15 season, he moved up to fourth. The lofty company included 1) Cam Newton, 2) Tom Brady, 3) J. J. Watt (Browns college teammate), 4) Antonio Brown, 5) Adrian Peterson, and 6) Aaron Rodgers. Eventually, hed move up to No. 2.

Amid all his success, Brown could often be seen smiling, laughing, dancing, and espousing an enthusiastic message. Anytime you get an opportunity to put more fun in the game, thats good, he said. Ive got a lot of positive energy.

More than anything, that positive focus carried Antonio to the top. Sure, he had inherited the athleticism of Eddie Brown, but his parents divorced when he was a kid. At age 16, Antonio was kicked out of the house due to conflicts with his stepfather. For six months, he had no home, slept on friends couches, and even wound up on the streets. He was so skinny due to his poor diet that friends called him Boney Tony. He was ousted from his first college, and scouts predicted he wouldnt hack it in the NFL.

Ive been fighting for my life before and sleeping in cars and trying to find a place to lay my head, Brown told Tribune Business News. Ive had situations where Ive had nowhere to go.

Football, he added, is the easy part. I overcame life.

To this day, Antonio has revealed few details and feelings about his early years. But we get a sense of the hurt he felt about his father, Touchdown Eddie Brown, abandoning him and his mother.

One story hints at his resentment. When Antonio attended college at Central Michigan University, Eddie acquired a sideline pass to talk to his son. But after the game, after conducting an interview with a reporter, Antonio walked by me like he didnt even know who I was, Eddie told the Indianapolis Star. The two would gradually reconstruct their relationship, but Eddie is now aware of how much pain he had caused. Every father who has ever been separated from his kids is grateful to get that relationship back, Eddie told the