Antonio Brown is an inspiration.
Sure, he’s a classic diva wide receiver. He’ll demand the football from quarterback Derek Carr and coach Jon Gruden, and if he doesn’t get enough touches, that alone could cause friction in the locker room.
And he would be correct to be upset — he’s a supremely skilled, Hall of Fame-caliber wide receiver.
But my goodness, does he work hard.
He spent some of his time on vacation in Hawaii catching footballs from a JUGS machine, illuminated by what appear to be golf cart headlights, according to his Instagram account.
Here’s part of the footage, courtesy of The Mercury News’ Matt Schneidman. Notice Brown took his Raiders helmet with him to the Aloha State.
Brown has already impressed onlookers with his work ethic during organized team activities and minicamp, and even on vacation, he still has the look of a player who wants to equal or surpass the achievements of Hall of Fame WR Jerry Rice.
Leading up to a monumental season for the Raiders, Brown can inspire others with his desire for greatness, especially the three first-round draft picks that are supposed to be the foundation of the franchise as it moves to Las Vegas in 2020.
Brown could hang his cleats up now and still be enshrined in Canton, but instead, he’s honing his craft outdoors after the sun has set while on holiday — and every Oakland Raider should take note.
