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Boston followed Tom Brady’s first appearance in the Super Bowl closely with a team other than the Patriots and who was not the only NFL city with ties to this year’s Buccaneers.
Steelers have many connections to Tampa. Bucs head coach Bruce Arians was the Steelers’ offensive coordinator for five seasons, while Bucs assistants Byron Leftwich, Larry Foote and Antwan Randle-El all played for the team. The same happened with Steve McLendon and cornerback Ross Cockrell, but the active player with the most history in Pittsburgh is probably wide receiver Antonio Brown.
Brown starred in the Steelers for nine seasons, but his tenure with the team ended in acrimony at the end of the 2018 season. Brown forced a switch away from the team after losing training, criticizing quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and making the team’s life miserable. . Despite all this, Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert responded positively to Sunday’s victory.
“I was happy that AB won a Super Bowl trophy,” said Colbert at WDVE, via Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “This is something unique. Once a player does this, there is nothing else that can be compared. When you get that first, it’s unique and you remember it. That [ex-Steelers], I know they liked it. This was a special group. And we are happy for all of them. “
Brown’s behavior with the Raiders made them stay for a short time and the sexual assault charges ended his time with the Patriots after a game. He served an eight-game suspension to open this season as well, and the distance it all brought from his time with the Steelers may have made it easier for Colbert to find a smile for the start on Sunday.