ONE LAST WORD.

Of course, everything is controversy these days. As evident by the tweets posted in this article, every school isn’t going to embrace such a polarizing (often irreverent) figure on campus, and hopefully this situation doesn’t cause a firestorm of outraged morality warriors. Personally, I’m inclined to agree that AB didn’t have to visit a school during his time in the city, and that should be commended.

More importantly, the message this man represents is important for young athletes to understand, as errant as his actions might be. Football is not a life-long career, and we’ve seen too many greats lose their life after they decide to hang the cleats up. Tampa Bay’s Vincent Jackson was a life-long role model that many schools would’ve welcomed, long before Antonio Brown. Unfortunately, Vincent Jackson silently suffered with Stage 2 CTE, and less than four years after his retirement, was tragically taken from us in February of last year. Miami Dolphins starting quarterback Tau Tagovailoa is a avid humanitarian, and model of a future NFL Hall of Famer, who has become the new face of the NFL’s failures in the area of player’s health, and safety, after his horrific injuries were downplayed by his team.

So, this writer is grateful that Antonio Brown is alive, and allowing us to have this uncomfortable conversation. As he mentioned in a recent podcast, we usually wait until deaths happen to pay lip-service to it:

“I’ve done everything I’ve done in the game. Football is a war game, but I don’t have to limp off the field. Realize when you love something that doesn’t love you back.

I’m not willing to risk myself, or die for football.”

What say you? Let us know in the comments, and tag us on social media.

Let’s have the conversation.