Raiders’ Antonio Brown posts video apparently talking to Jon Gruden
ALAMEDA, Calif. — Raiders wide receiver Antonio Brown posted a two-minute video to YouTube on Friday night featuring an apparent conversation between him and coach Jon Gruden.
The video begins with a voice that sounds like Brown’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, telling Brown, “Coach is on the line.”
A voice that sounds like Gruden then says, “AB, what the hell is going on, man?”
“Just a villain all over the news, man,” Brown’s voice responds.
The black-and-white video features classical music in the background and highlights of Brown working out and walking through the Oakland-Alameda Coliseum.
The voice of Gruden comes back to say Brown is not a villain. Instead he’s “the most misunderstood (expletive) human being in my entire life that I’ve ever met.”
The same voice asks Brown if he wants to be a Raider or not, to which Brown replies, “Man, I’ve been trying to be a Raider since Day 1. I’ve been (expletive) working my (expletive) off harder than anyone. I don’t know why it’s a question of me being a Raider. It’s like, do you guys want me to be a Raider?”
Gruden’s voice then tells Brown to “please stop this (expletive) and just play football.”
Brown titled the video in all capital letters on YouTube as “THIS IS MY LIFE. AIN’T NO MORE GAMES.”
In the caption, Brown said: “With all these false narratives antagonizing me, it’s time for me to control my own narrative. Show the world I’m not the bad guy. Show the world you can free yourself from the lies and become your own person. I am not just AB the football player, I am Antonio Brown, the person, who paved a way for himself to be in charge of his own life. Free me!”
After a tumultuous week, Brown was at Raiders practice on Friday morning, appearing on the field just as the viewing portion for the media was ending. At the start of the session, Gruden held an impromptu session with the media and said Brown was back and the plan was for him to play in Monday night’s season opener against the Denver Broncos.
On Thursday, it appeared Brown’s status with the Raiders was in jeopardy after a report surfaced that he had gotten in a heated discussion with general manger Mike Mayock over fines imposed by the team.
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Contact Myles Simmons at msimmons@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0350. Follow @MylesASimmons on Twitter.