Pittsburgh Steelers's Antonio Brown Thrusts Himself Into Spotlight with TD Dance, Catch Record [VIDEO]
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown had quite the day Sunday: First he went viral, then he made history.
In the first quarter of play against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Heinz Field, Brown made a leaping catch in the end zone to break free from cornerback Alterraun Verner and grab an 11-yard pass from quarterback Ben Roethlisberger for a score.
Although the impressive reception set up an extra point that tied the game, 10-10, it was Brown's celebration of the score that was the real highlight.
He stood up, spun the ball on the ground and mimicked its motion with his body, ultimately falling to the ground like a top that had lost its momentum. Sure, he cost his team 15 yards for unsportsmanlike conduct with his antics, but at least it made Twitter happy.
Click here to watch the video.
"I call it: the dreidel," tweeted prideofdetroit.com contributor Jeremy Reisman (@DetroitOnLion).
"Whether or not that was a catch, fantastic TD celebration by Antonio Brown," said Tampa Bay Times writer Thomas Bassinger (@tbassfootball). "Refs should applaud the creativity, not throw flags. #TBvsPIT."
I Know Football (@iKnowFootball) mused on Twitter, "@AntonioBrown84 might be the best TD dancer in the @nfl."
But it was not all silliness for Brown. Later in the game, he notched himself a spot in the National Football League record books — and that is no joke.
With a catch along the sideline in the third quarter, Brown became the first NFL player in history to record five catches and 50 yards in 20 consecutive games. He finished the contest with seven receptions and two touchdowns on 131 yards receiving.
"Right now, it's not about records," Brown told reporters after the game. "It's all about winning, playing Steelers football and getting victories. The record is great, but it means nothing. We lost. Our business is winning."
Indeed, the Steelers dropped the matchup to the Bucs, 27-24.
A major blemish on an otherwise epic night for Brown.