Steelers WR Antonio Brown said he "knew since February" he would grace the cover of "Madden NFL 19," but had to keep the news to himself before EA Sports made the formal announcement earlier this week. Brown talked about the honor during an appearance Thursday night on ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live," where the host noted Brown's father around a month ago almost spoiled the news in an Instagram post. Kimmel: "He did this well before it was supposed to be announced, right?” Brown said he called his father “right away, like, ‘What are you doing?’” Kimmel: “He knew it was supposed to be secret, and he didn't care. He did it anyway.” Brown: “He wanted to be the first one.” Kimmel noted Brown has the “distinction of being the only player ever to appear without a helmet on” on the “Madden” cover. He asked, “Was that your decision?” Brown: “Obviously.” Kimmel called it a “smart decision" and asked, "Did you think about that beforehand?” Brown: “I really didn't know. I did the shoot, we did shots with the helmet, without. I think it's really cool to be on there without the helmet. Obviously, football players wear a helmet. Get a chance for people to see me.” But Kimmel said, “You don't need to wear a helmet because it's not like someone's tackling you during the photo shoot” (“Jimmy Kimmel Live,” ABC, 7/19).
