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SPORTS Saturday 6 January 2018

Steelers’ Antonio Brown, unanimous choice on AP All-Pro Team

By BARRY WILNER sidered as an All-Pro, man, rusher Cameron Jordan; their position in the league, (7 1-2 sacks, 17 tackles for
AP Pro Football Writer God is good, honestly. Hon- Cardinals linebacker Chan- that says a lot. And you see loss). So what I wanted to
Antonio Brown was one estly.” dler Jones; Vikings corner- the guys before you, the do this year is, of course,
of four repeaters from last Patriots quarterback Tom back Xavier Rhodes and things they were able to push myself to be better
season on The Associated Brady made his third All-Pro safety Harrison Smith; De- accomplish, you’ve seen than last. That probably
Press 2017 NFL All-Pro Team, team. troit defensive back Darius those things and you want only poses the problem of
and the only unanimous Three Steelers joined Brown Slay; and Titans safety Kev- those things. It’s part of that where I go next year. Now
choice.
The brilliant wide receiver
of the Pittsburgh Steelers
drew all 50 ballots Friday
from a nationwide panel
of media members who
regularly cover the league.
Brown missed the last two-
plus games with an ankle
injury.
He was among four play-
ers to make a fourth All-
Pro squad, joining New
England tight end Rob
Gronkowski, Carolina line-
backer Luke Kuechly and
Los Angeles Rams punter
Johnny Hekker.
The repeaters from 2016
were Rams interior defen-
sive lineman Aaron Don-
ald, who got 49 votes, and
punter Johnny Hekker; and Top row from left are 2017 file photos showing Patriots’ Tom Brady, Steelers’ Antonio Brown, Rams’ Pharoh Cooper, Rams’ Aaron
Seattle linebacker Bobby Donald, Patriot’s Rob Gronkowski and Rams Todd Gurley. Bottom row from left are Rams’ Johnny Hekker, Panthers’ Luke Kuechly,
Wagner. Seahawks’ Bobby Wagner, Rams’ Andrew Whitworth and Rams’ Greg Zuerlein.
In their turnaround sea-
son, the Rams led the way on the roster: Le’Veon Bell in Byard. mindset of wanting to be I’ve got to shoot for more
with six All-Pros, including as the flex, interior defensive First-timers made an impres- great and understanding than what I did this year.”q
two more specialists: kicker lineman Cam Heyward, sion on both sides of the what comes along with
Greg Zuerlein and kick re- and right guard David De- ball, with 15 on the team: that, and wanting that kind
turner Pharoh Cooper. Run- Castro. No other team had Byard, Slay, Rhodes, Jones, of acknowledgment.”
ning back Todd Gurley and more than two All-Pros, with Jordan, Ramsey, Camp- While making All-Pro has
left tackle Andrew Whit- the stronger NFC getting 18 bell, Hopkins, Norwell, become almost natural for
worth were honored. players and the AFC 10. Kelce, Johnson, Agnew, Wagner, Jordan finally got
“Dang, that’s crazy. It Two rookies made it: punt Baker, Gurley, and Cooper. there in his seventh pro sea-
means a lot, honestly,” said returner Jamal Agnew of Wagner is on his third All-Pro son.
Gurley, who likely would Detroit and special teamer squad. “I’m definitely trying to push
have led the league in rush- Budda Baker of Arizona. “When you get voted for myself to be better than
ing had he played in LA’s Also making it: Eagles right these types of awards,” he I was the year previous,”
finale. “It’s a blessing. I’ve tackle Lane Johnson and said, “it shows you all the he said. “I think I had a re-
got so much respect for ev- center Jason Kelce; Pan- work you do in the offsea- ally good year last year.
erybody in this league, and thers left guard Andrew son, the grinding, all the Of course, sack numbers
to be in this position just Norwell; Texans wide re- things you push through ... won’t show that, but in
means so much to me. ceiver DeAndre Hopkins; when you get this, when terms of playing the run, in
“I’ve been following peo- Jaguars edge rusher Calais people say this is not AFC, terms of getting after the
ple around the NFL my Campbell and cornerback NFC, this is the league, this passer I thought last year
whole life, and to be con- Jalen Ramsey; Saints edge is who we deem the best at was one of my better years