Who Is Antonio Brown Of ‘Dancing With The Stars’ Season 22?
Dancing With the Stars has added Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown to the Season 22 cast for this spring and football fans cannot wait to see him hit the dance floor. This NFL star has a solid fan base who will be anxious to vote for him and many DWTS fans think he could be a big contender for the Mirrorball trophy set to be awarded in the finale. What do the show’s fans need to know about this football star?
As the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette details, Antonio Brown has faced some significant challenges over the years. His mother kicked him out of her house when he was 16-years-old, after she got remarried, leaving him to forge ahead on his own. Antonio grew up in the Liberty City section of Miami, Florida, a rough part of town where drugs and crime were quite prevalent.
Brown made his way through the rest of high school staying with one friend or another, attending Miami’s Norland High School and then a prep school in North Carolina. Though being on his own as a teen could have led to trouble, this Dancing With the Stars contestant shares that he stayed focused on what was important to him and he knew that if he got into trouble, nobody would be stepping in to help him out.
Though things were difficult with his mother during those years, Antonio said he knows his mother loves him and he believes that she was simply in a tough position at that time. This Season 22 Dancing With the Stars celeb says he holds no baggage about what happened. Brown has never wanted to embarrass her when talking about his early years.
Brown wasn’t very connected with his father during some of those early years, either, but he has repaired his relationship with Arena Football League star Eddie Brown in recent years, as well.
“She loves me, and if I wouldn’t have went through what I went through I wouldn’t be here today and be as mature as I am. I would not have been able to endure with the blessings that have been given to me.”
After utilizing prep school to get his grades up, Brown went on to Central Michigan University and went pro after his junior year. This new Dancing With the Stars contestant was drafted in 2010 by the Pittsburgh Steelers during the sixth round and that is where he has been ever since. Antonio has set team records and earned many accolades, and he has talked quite a bit about relying on his faith to help him succeed.
Brown, 27, has four children now, three sons and a daughter, named Antonio Jr., Autonomy, Ali and Antanyiah. Antonio’s youngest two children, Auto and Ali, are his with girlfriend Chelsie Kyriss. Steelers teammate Ben Roethlisberger reportedly gives Brown a hard time about making things official and getting hitched, details Fox Sports. For now, though, Antonio says things are going well just the way they are.
As for Antonio’s dance partner this spring on Dancing With the Stars, it seems he will be working with longtime pro Sharna Burgess, details PureDWTS. Fans know that this won’t be Sharna’s first NFL partner, as she also danced with Keyshawn Johnson during Season 17. Unfortunately, they were the first pair eliminated that season, but Burgess has fared better in recent seasons with Noah Galloway, finishing third, and Nick Carter, finishing second.
Will Antonio and Sharna scoop up the Season 22 DWTS Mirrorball trophy this spring? Dancing With the Stars fans think that this could be a dynamic duo and fans are getting ready to start voting for Antonio Brown and Sharna Burgess. They will be facing fellow football pros Von Miller and Doug Flutie, though, along with some other high-profile competitors, and it looks like things could get quite interesting as this all plays out this spring.
[Photo by Jon Parra/Getty Images]
